Voices Unveiled: A Qualitative Exploration of the Postsecondary Journey of Foster Youth in LA County

The co-conveners of the Los Angeles Opportunity Youth Collaborative (OYC), JBAY, Alliance for Children’s Rights and UNITE-LA, partnered with the Los Angeles Community College District to explore the LA College Promise (LACP).

While LACP had demonstrated success among the general first-time college population, its success among foster youth was untested. The OYC utilized a human-centered design process to convene partners and gather extensive youth and stakeholder feedback to determine if the LACP was an effective approach for foster youth and to better understand the experience of foster youth transitioning into postsecondary education and the systems that serve them.

This report highlights the finding from this qualitative research study and opportunities for policy and practice changes that could improve the postsecondary educational outcomes of youth in foster care.