Foster Youth Services

Mission Statement

Foster Youth Services (FYS) is committed to work in collaboration with public and private partners to meet the unique educational needs of our foster youths, providing leadership through integrity, accountability, and child centered services.

The Foster Youth Services mission is to empower our youth to become productive community members.

All About Foster Youth Services

Providing Services To

Foster children are those who have been removed from their homes primarily due to abuse, neglect or abandonment; or who have often been shuffled from placement to placement and school to school; children who are vulnerable and at risk; children without a voice to advocate for their special needs.

Foster Youth Services History

FYS began operating in 1973 in four California school districts: Elk Grove Unified; San Juan Unified, Sacramento City Unified and Mt. Diablo Unified. In 1992, two new programs were added in Placer-Nevada and Paramount School Districts. These programs have successfully served thousands of foster students, markedly improving their school performances and increasing their chances for success in later life.

Foster Youth Services Provides

The primary focus of FYS is to improve the academic and behavior of targeted children. FYS can assist in providing information on educational options for children in-group homes and in monitoring various services for them. FYS also focuses on expeditious placement in a school program that best matches the child's needs. Foster children are highly mobile; they usually "start from scratch" every time they are enrolled in a new school. They are repeatedly re-immunized and re-tested. Often they must remain out of school for weeks until this process is completed. FYS professionals have the authority and expertise to track down "lost" transcripts and assessment and verify that immunizations are current so that the foster child can be admitted to school and placed into the right program promptly.

Objectives

• Reduce the number of placements in RCL 11's and above and reduce out-of-state and state hospital placements as measured by census.
• Increase child/adolescent school attendance and decrease NPS enrollment as measured by appropriate plan.
• Increase student grade level equivalent gains between admissions/discharge as measured in the basic academic skill areas as measured by standardized test scores.
• Decrease number of school delinquency, suspensions and expulsions as measured by student documentation
• Serve as an active member of Children's System of Care (CSOC) and the Interagency Placement Council (IPC)

Foster Youth Services is an example of the positive results that can be obtained by interagency cooperation. Foster Youth Services works closely with:

• Children's Network
• Community colleges
• Department of Behavioral Health
• Department of Children Services
• Department of Health Services
• Department of Mental Health
• Foster and Group Homes
• Probation Department
• School Districts

To learn more about Foster Youth Services and how an FYS program might benefit the foster children in your school district call or write:

For additional information, please contact: Maria Garcia by e-mail or by calling (909) 252-4501