We are delighted to report that Tipping Point renewed its support to JBAY with a $400,000 grant for 2022.
This grant will provide funding for a fourth year of its multi-year initiative, Better Futures for Foster Youth. Launched in 2019, this ambitious initiative aims to change policy and practices to make it easier for foster youth to secure stable housing, pursue and complete higher education, and get better access to the safety nets that will help them succeed. It will also establish a first-ever statewide platform to collect and share data and research to inform policy and practice changes at all levels.
According to Executive Director Amy Lemley, Tipping Point’s support has allowed JBAY to reach the next level. “The Better Futures for Foster Youth program allowed JBAY to expand its reach. Instead of one policy proposal a year, we’re advocating for five, making it possible to reach our shared goal of making a better future possible for Bay Area foster youth.”
The five-year goal for the initiative is to enact significant reforms that give foster youth the tools to reach their full potential. JBAY has accomplished just that. For example, in 2021, JBAY successfully advocated for $22 million to provide safe, stable housing for over 1,000 foster youth statewide.
Alex Chan, Strategic Initiatives Director at Tipping Point, had this to say about JBAY. “Over the past three years, JBAY has been a fantastic partner to Tipping Point in advancing efforts at the state and regional level to improve systems of care for older foster youth. JBAY has successfully secured a multitude of new funding streams and championed protections on behalf of older foster youth, we’re eager to continue our collaboration in the coming year.”
Tipping Point is known for its rigorous selection process, supporting nonprofits from across the Bay Area that can demonstrate their direct, measurable impact. At JBAY, we are proud to have earned the support of Tipping Point.
Looking forward, in 2022 JBAY will use its Tipping Point support to put forth our ambitious legislative agenda, which includes expanding California’s earned income tax credit. JBAY supports legislation to build on this important program by establishing a $1,000 refundable tax credit for current and former foster youth. Eligible youth would be between the ages 18 and 25 and would have been in foster care on or after age 13. Approximately 20,000 youth would benefit from the credit and the estimated cost would be $21 million annually.