From Trauma to Triumph
Youth aging out of the foster care system in California would receive a universal basic income, UBI, of $1,000 a month for three years, under legislation proposed by newly-elected state Senator David Cortese (D). John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) executive director Amy Lemley and Senator Cortese discussed the proposal, SB 739, and the challenges facing […]
JBAY Featured on KQED to Discuss Universal Basic Income for Foster Youth
Youth aging out of the foster care system in California would receive a universal basic income, UBI, of $1,000 a month for three years, under legislation proposed by newly-elected state Senator David Cortese (D). John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) executive director Amy Lemley and Senator Cortese discussed the proposal, SB 739, and the challenges […]
JBAY Testifies at Assembly Hearing to Ensure Student Basic Needs Are Met
Here’s a quick student quiz. Answer A or B: A. Go to the food bank so that your family can eat tonight. B. Take the classes that mean by 2025 you will no longer need to go to food banks. You can only choose one and you have to decide now. That’s the kind of […]
JBAY’s Outreach Efforts Link Youth to Newly Available Pandemic Relief
John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) was recognized in a recent article about CaC, Young Child Tax Credit, and Golden State Stimulus will provide hundreds or thousands of dollars in refundable credits and payments to youth that can be used to cover immediate needs related to housing, food, bills, and school. It is critical that young adults […]
Ten Months Into the Pandemic, Congress Provides Relief for Older Youth in Foster Care
The new year brought good news for foster youth. On December 27, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriation Act which included important pandemic relief for older youth in foster care. John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) advocated for this important funding as part of a large national coalition led by Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center. The appropriations bill […]
ECMC Foundation and JBAY Issue Campus Grants to Reduce Homelessness and Hunger
The housing crisis in California has escalated over the last decade, with homelessness touching groups once considered immune from it. College students are one of these groups. According to a 2019 study, 1 in 5 community college students in California experience homelessness during the academic year. Hunger is also growing, with 50% of community college students […]
JBAY to Back Governor Newsom’s Vision for Foster Care
Governor Newsom released his proposed budget last week and it included two important proposals for older youth in foster care. First, he included a $20 million investment in higher education for foster youth that will allow all foster youth enrolled in post-secondary education to receive a Cal Grant of $6,000. Currently, foster youth enrolled in […]
JBAY Youth Advocate Featured On KQED’S Forum
On Tuesday, December 22nd, JBAY Youth Advocate Aja Dunlap was featured on Forum, a daily radio program on KQED 88.5. The topic of the program was foster youth and how they are faring during the pandemic. Aja spent the first ten minutes discussing her own experiences in foster care, as well as those of other foster youth during […]
A Decade of Success
“California used to give up on kids in foster care, but we changed that by extending care from 18 to 21,” says John Burton, the former state senator who chairs John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY). “That one piece of legislation has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of young people.” JBAY was a […]