Why we do what we do -
According to U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, there is an estimated Average of 423,773 children in foster care. Unfortunately, young people transitioning out of the foster care system are significantly affected by the instability that accompanies long periods of out-of-home placement during childhood and adolescence. The experiences of these youth place them at a higher risk for unemployment, poor educational outcomes, health issues, early parenthood, long-term dependency on public assistance, increased rates of incarceration, and homelessness.
Of those 423,000 children in foster care, approximately 20,000 young people age out of the foster care system each year, many without family or economic support. Unfortunately, foster youth do not always have the option of turning to their families for support. Alone, these young people are confronting the harsh reality of the gap between the wages they earn and the cost of housing, as well as the knowledge and confidence they need to become a contributive part of the American society. As a result, youth aging out of the foster care system are becoming homeless at disconcerting rates with anywhere from 12% to 36% of young people transitioning out of the system experiencing some form of homelessness to include incarceration at the expense of the American tax payers.
The You Can Foundation’s (YCF) mission is to provide financial, educational, inspirational and motivational assistance to underprivileged teenagers and young adults that live or have lived their childhood life outside of the traditional structures of a mother and/or father lead household.
With an emphasis on those teenagers transitioning out of the foster care system, YCF organizes resources to create financial, educational, vocational, health care, entrepreneurial, and recreational opportunities for youth who are leaving or have recently left foster care. The goal is to help young people leaving foster care become financially literate; gain experience with the banking system; amass assets for education, housing, health care, and a few other specified expenses; and gain streamlined entry to educational, training, and vocational opportunities.