May Was a Month of Momentum | | André Chapman making remarks at the Foster Youth Housing Summit at the U.S. Capitol; Fostering Promise team members meeting with Congressman Sam Liccardo. | | |
A Message from André
Dear Friends,
May was National Foster Care Awareness Month and Affordable Housing Month here in the San Francisco Bay Area. And it provided a powerful reminder that the work to end the foster care-to-homelessness pipeline requires both compassion and action.
Fostering Promise was honored to join national leaders at the Housing as the Cornerstone of Foster Youth Independence National Summit on May 19 - 20 in Washington, D.C. We gathered to advocate for stronger federal and state policy and continue lifting up the voices of young adults with lived experience like Domenica Taylor, whose story – shared below – reminds us what is possible when young people have the housing, support, and stability they deserve.
We are deeply grateful to our partners, supporters, advocates, and young people who continue to inspire this movement. Together, we are proving that this crisis is solvable. Because not even one young person should age out of foster care into homelessness.
With gratitude,
André V. Chapman
President & CEO, Fostering Promise
| | From the Bay Area to Capitol Hill: Advancing Housing Solutions for Foster Youth | | We joined national leaders from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, Dave Thomas Foundation, Foster America, Good River Partners, National Center for Housing and Child Welfare, Think of Us, and more. | | |
We were honored to participate in Housing as the Cornerstone of Foster Youth Independence, a national Summit which brought together leaders from housing, child welfare, public policy, philanthropy, advocacy, and young adults with lived experience.
The Summit came at a pivotal time, as federal momentum grows around solutions to improve outcomes for young people transitioning out of foster care. (See below for the historic legislation furthered while we were there!)
Hosted by national systems change organizations,the message was clear: Housing is not a side issue. It is foundational. Without a safe, stable place to live, it is nearly impossible for young people to pursue education, employment, health, relationships, or long-term independence.
During our time in Washington, D.C., Fostering Promise also met with members of Congress, including Congressman Sam Liccardo, Congressman Jimmy Panetta, and Congresswoman Judy Chu, to thank them for their leadership and encourage continued action on behalf of current and former foster youth.
As André shared, “The stories and voices of foster youth are driving the urgency to act. By pairing their lived experiences with effective regional implementation, we can ensure federal resources create real, lasting solutions.”
We returned from D.C. energized, grateful, and more committed than ever.
| | Spotlight on Domenica Taylor, Fostering Promise Advisor | | Domenica with her 2 year old son Jake | | |
For 24-year-old Domenica Taylor, stable housing changed everything.
Domenica spent much of her childhood in foster care and, like too many young people, faced homelessness after aging out of the system. Today, she is the proud single mother of two-year-old Jake — and she is building the kind of future she once had to fight just to imagine.
Thanks to an FYI housing voucher, Domenica now has her own apartment. That stability gave her the foundation to move forward in other areas of her life. She recently purchased her first car, is learning to drive for the first time, is enrolled in college, and is starting a paid internship with the County of Santa Clara in June.
Domenica’s story is a powerful reminder of why Fostering Promise exists. When young people exiting foster care have safe, stable housing, they are better able to pursue school, work, parenting, healing, and independence. Housing opens the door to everything else.
Today Domenica is not just surviving. She is moving forward — with courage, determination, and hope. And she is using her story and her voice to change the system for others like her. As a member of the Fostering Promise Young Adult Advisory Council, Domenica has provided testimony in various forums throughout Santa Clara County where public policy and resources are being determined. She is a powerful example of what a stable home makes possible!
| Policy in Motion: Supporting Federal and State Action for Youth | Fostering Promise team members with Congressman Jimmy Panetta on the floor of the Ways and Means Committee meeting as a vote was taking place. | |
Ending the foster care-to-homelessness pipeline will require more than one program, one organization, or one sector. It will require coordinated policy change at every level of government. That is why Fostering Promise recently submitted letters of support for two important legislative efforts: the federal Fostering the Future Act and California’s AB 1899.
At the federal level, the Fostering the Future Act represents historic bipartisan momentum to modernize the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood. The legislation is designed to strengthen supports for young people aging out of foster care, including stronger connections to housing, education, workforce training, legal services, mentorship, and support for young parents. Last month while we were in D.C., the House of Representatives unanimously approved it and we are hopeful that the Senate will pass it into law.
At the state level, Fostering Promise is proud to support AB 1899, which would establish a dedicated Office of Youth Homelessness Prevention in California. We support this bill because young people should not have to wait until they are in crisis to receive help. California needs a coordinated strategy to prevent youth homelessness before it begins, align resources across systems, and move closer to reducing youth homelessness to functional zero.
Young people transitioning from foster care deserve more than emergency responses. They deserve prevention, stability, support, and a future they can build with dignity.
| | Seeking a Visionary Tech Partner to Help Change Lives | | |
Our vision for My Housing Platform™ is moving closer to reality. Designed with input from young adults with lived experience in foster care, this mobile-enabled solution will help youth prepare for stable housing, connect with mentors, securely store critical documents, and navigate the resources they need to thrive.
Working with Fideseo, we are refining our product strategy, technical roadmap, and plans for a 2027 pilot.
Now, we are seeking an innovative technology partner to help champion, accelerate, and scale this Tech-for-Good solution.
Silicon Valley has transformed industries across the globe. Together, we can harness that same spirit of innovation to solve one of our nation’s most urgent—and solvable — human challenges.
Interested in learning more? Contact Aleta Smith at aleta@fosteringpromise.org.
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