Contact:
DCFS Office of Public Affairs
publicaffairs@dcfs.lacounty.gov
Just in time for summer break, youth in foster care ages 12 to 26 may now join one of 27 YMCA locations at no cost thanks to a $1 million investment by the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles.
Brandon T. Nichols, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), said this unique partnership illustrates the vital role community organizations play in uplifting children and young people.
The “You Belong” initiative aims to provide safe, supportive environments throughout Los Angeles County where youth in foster care may connect with licensed clinical social workers and mentors. Youth also will gain access to health and well-being resources including fitness, nutrition, mental health and substance use prevention information. Additionally, they may enroll in paid job training, leadership development programs, conflict resolution workshops and financial literacy classes.
“We are grateful that the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles has made a commitment to youth and families who need this support most,” Director Nichols said. “We worry a whole lot about young people in foster care aging out of our system without the necessary life skills to become successful adults. The transition to adulthood is especially challenging when youth do not have a community of caring adults who can help guide them.”
“This partnership has renewed my hope that, in the future, former foster youth will have stronger connections with good, kind, conscientious people in their communities and a smoother transition to becoming adults,” Nichols added. “Few things are more heartbreaking than to see our young people end up unhoused or struggling day-to-day to make ends meet.”
For young people in foster care age 16 and older – often referred to as Transition Age Youth – access to skill-building resources and services prepares them for adulthood and may increase the likelihood that they will pursue post-secondary education, and secure living wage employment and stable housing upon exiting the child welfare system at age 21.
To sign up for a membership, eligible youth may contact their DCFS social worker who will refer them to a YMCA facility in their community. The organization also will provide space at each of their centers where parents working toward reunification may interact with their children during monitored visits.
The new partnership was announced on April 17 at a news conference where Director Nichols and YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles President and CEO Victor Dominguez discussed the program.
Dominguez expressed deep concern for older foster youth, 42% of whom may experience up to three different home placements in a single year, according to the California Child Welfare Indicators Project, a collaboration between the University of California at Berkeley and the California Department of Social Services.
“Far too many former foster youth face homelessness after aging out of the system,” Dominguez said. “Our message is clear: You will always have a home at the Y. No matter where life takes you in Los Angeles, the Y is a community that cares and is waiting with open arms.”
“Through the ‘You Belong’ initiative, we’re not just offering free access to our centers – we’re promising youth in foster care that they will never have to navigate adulthood alone,” Dominguez said. “Every Y center will be a sanctuary where they truly belong, today, tomorrow and for years to come.”
As part of this initiative, two YMCA locations – Weingart YMCA in South Los Angeles and Antelope Valley YMCA – also will extend free memberships to relative caregivers and foster parents as part of a pilot program.
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