The First Basic Income Pilot Program for Foster Youth is a No-Brainer

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OPI NI ON

Publ i s hedSept ember1 4,2020

TheFi r s tBas i cI ncomePi l otPr ogr am f orFos t erYout hi saNoBr ai ner ByEl i s eCut i ni TheSant aCl ar aCount y( Cal i f or ni a) Boar dofSuper v i s or sappr ov edi nMaya bas i ci ncomepi l otpr ogr am f oryout h whoar et r ans i t i oni ngoutoff os t ercar e.I appl audt heboar df ort aki ngt hi s v al uabl es t ept owar di mpr ov i ngl i f e out comesf orf os t eryout hi nSant a Cl ar aCount y.Thefir s tpr ogr am ofi t s ki ndi nourcount r y,i ts et sapower f ul pr ecedentf orot hercount i est of ol l ow anddemons t r at esSant aCl ar aCount y’ s commi t mentt or ev er s i ngt henegat i v e t r endst hatpr ev ents omanyf os t er yout hf r om achi ev i ngt hei rdr eamsf or s ucces s .

L or em I ps um

DMYTROZI NKEVYCH/ SHUTTERST OCK

Pi v ot al s chol ar s hi pr eci pi ent swhoar ei nSant aCl ar aCount yex t endedf os t ercar er epor tan av er agemont hl yi ncomeof$1 , 500permont h.Her ei nSi l i conVal l ey,wher e$1 , 500i snotenought o ev enr entas t udi oapar t ment ,mos tofPi v ot al ’ scol l eges chol ar smus twor kpar tt i meorf ul l t i met o s ur v i v e.Bas i cs t udentex pens esl i k er ent ,gr ocer i es ,cl ot hi ng,t r ans por t at i on,ut i l i t ybi l l s ,t ex t book s andt ui t i onal l addupqui ckl y. Thepi l otpr ogr am pr ov i desuncondi t i onal cas hpayment sof$1 , 000t o7 2yout hbet weent heagesof 21and24,wi t hpr i or i t ygi v ent ot hos ecl os ert o24.I tl ev el st hei rpl ayi ngfiel dj us tal i t t l ebi tmor e andmak esi tpos s i bl ef ort hes eyout ht opur s uet hes ki l l st r ai ni ngt heyneedt or eachal i f eof s el f s u ci ency.Whi l e89% off os t eryout hwantt ogot ocol l ege,onl y3% gr aduat e.L ef tt of endf or t hems el v eswhent heyemanci pat ef r om t hef os t ercar es ys t em atage21 ,t heyf aceani mpos s i bl e choi ce:Payt her entt odayors t ayt hecour s et oachi ev es ucces st omor r ow. oungpeopl eent ert hef os t ercar es ys t em becaus et heyar ebor ni nt of ami l i eswhoar eal mos ts ur el y Y s t r uggl i ngwi t hpov er t yandcoul dbechal l engedbyi s s uesofaddi ct i onandment al heal t h.Shu i ng f r om f os t erhomet of os t erhome,s chool t os chool ,andl eav i ngf r i endsandf ami l ybehi ndeacht i me i snoeas yf eatandof t enl eadst oaddi t i onal t r auma.But ,wi t heachchal l enge,f os t eryout hbui l dup t hei rr es i l i ence.Af el l owboar dmemberwhogr e wupi nf os t ercar el i k est os ay,“ Weknowhowt o nav i gat echoppywat er s . ” Whenwer emov echi l dr enf r om t hecar eoft heonl yf ami l i est heyhav e,weas s umewecandobet t er . Unf or t unat el y,t hat ’ snotal wayst hecas e.Thes t at i s t i csar oundf os t eryout hwhoar et r ans i t i oni ng outofcar ear ebl eak .Byage1 8,25% off os t eryout har ehomel es s ,20% ar ei ncar cer at ed,and50% dr opoutofhi ghs chool .Oncei nf os t ercar e,yout hmus tadher et ocount ymandat esar oundwhi ch s chool t hey’ l l at t end,whi chf ami l yt hey’ l l l i v ewi t handwhent hei rnex tmov ewi l l be.Whatdoyou wantf oryour s el fi snotaques t i ont hey’ v ebeenas k edasf os t eryout h.Y et ,i t ’ st hemos ti mpor t ant onet oas k ,f ori ti sk eyt oknowi ngwhi cht ool sands uppor tt heyneedt ot hr i v e. 1


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