The Heckscher Foundation initiated a project to provide foster teens with education and workforce preparation services.
In 2006, the Foundation conceived of a plan to address the needs of the many young people who "age out" of the NYC foster care system with very little preparation and no safety net. Studies show that many kids end up homeless or incarcerated within the first 18 months after leaving care and also that private organizations too often avoid this difficult issue.
The Academy initiative was aimed at getting the City, foster care agencies and nonprofits to work together to find solutions to the "aging out" crisis - beginning with the agencies responsible for older foster youth during the critical period right before they leave care. The position of the Academy outside of, but linked to, the child welfare system allows the program to serve as a bridge between child welfare and independent living.
Now a sustainable program funded by an array of other private and public sources, The Academy is a collaboration of a group of key foster care agencies with a coalition of outstanding service providers to offer innovative education and workforce preparation to foster teens.
2010 Update: Findings from a process evaluation of The Academy's successes and challenges have been documented in two new reports released by The Vera Institute of Justice and by F.E.G.S. Health and Human Services System in May. Of 271 participating youth, 88% of were successful in completing The Academy's CareerFirstsTM career readiness curriculum, a core component of The Academy's integration of education and workforce youth services. Among youth participating in The Academy's educational services, 70% either demonstrated educational progress or continue to remain active in the program working toward their educational goals.
