Fostering Youth Success Alliance
The Fostering Youth Success Alliance is a statewide advocacy group that promotes responsive policies and programs that offer young people with a foster care background every opportunity to set higher expectations and achieve their goals. We are dedicated to data-driven systems reform, raising public awareness, and securing stabilizing supports that empower youth across New York to overcome barriers and excel in life.
IMPACT
- In 2015, FYSA successfully advocated for the establishment of a comprehensive statewide initiative – the Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI) – to provide financial assistance and support services to foster youth and ensure they are given an equal opportunity to realize their dreams of a college education. Click here for more information about FYCSI.
- To date, FYSA has secured $50.522 million in state funds for FYCSI to support over 2,000 students attending college in New York State.
- In 2020, FYSA successfully adovcated to include medical expenses, including from mental health services, as a covered cost.
- In 2019, FYSA successfully advocated for the State to open FYCSI to all eligible student regardless of immigration status and to change FYCSI to be awarded on a need based system.
- FYSA founded the New York City and New York State Foster Youth Shadow Day, an event that provides young people with the opportunity to impact foster care legislative advocacy
- FYSA advocacy led to the passage of 2 New York City laws that created the first ever foster care experience survey and launched a New York City Foster Care Task force, led by the Administration for Children’s Services
- FYSA supported successful advocacy to reject a state proposal to cap NYC reimbursement of preventive services at $320 million, which could have resulted in a significant budget deficit for New York City Child Welfare programs
AMONG YOUTH AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE...
