California Edition 1

Back to School Resources

August/September 2022

Welcome to the first monthly iFoster Newsletter! Each newsletter will share a selection of resources and opportunities we hope can help you. We will also highlight important news from iFoster and our larger foster care community. Our 1st Edition is Back To School! Below are some of our top resources to prepare for and succeed in school. Best of luck this year!

FREE Laptops for College

Free 2-in-1 laptop/tablets for California current and former foster youth attending college, vocational schools or continuing ed this fall. These Wi-Fi enabled laptops come with Microsoft Windows and Office and with a built in camera. Our laptops are powerful tools for taking notes, attending Zoom meetings, writing essays or doing research.

Fun Scholarships

$250 scholarships are available for California foster youth in grades 6 to 12. Scholarships can be used to pay for any activity a youth is excited about – dance lessons, music or band, sports, creative arts courses, debate club, weekend camps, the sky’s the limit.

FREE Smartphones/Hotspots

Free new Motorola smartphones with unlimited talk, unlimited text and unlimited high speed data including hotspot capability from T-Mobile for California current and former foster youth ages 5 to 26 inclusive. T-Mobile has the largest 5G network in California. Phones come with front and back cameras for Facetiming and snapping pics.

FREE Eye Glasses

If MediCal won’t cover your child’s or your broken glasses, iFoster can. iFoster can provide certificates for free eye exams and glasses to current and former foster youth up to age 24. Certificates are valid at any Vison Service Plan (VSP) insured eye doctor or clinic near you.

FREE K-12 Tutoring

In any subject for current and former foster youth. Vetted tutors from top universities such as UCLA, UC-San Diego, and Cornell University are matched to students based on student need and their studying preferences. Spanish-language tutors are available for ESL students.

Up to 80% Off School Supplies

Use iFoster’s discounted rate with Office Depot and Office Max to score up to 80% off on school supplies. Over 300 office and school supply products are up to 80% off and over 3,000 products are at least 15% off. Discount is available only for online shopping.

Voice of the Community Survey

It only takes a few minutes to improve foster care…

Your voice matters. Take 5 minutes to complete this year’s Voice of the Community survey and be entered to win one of ten $500 VISA gift cards. CLICK HERE to take this year’s survey.

In 2021 over 2,400 community members shared their opinions and experiences in the largest survey ever taken on the state of our foster care system. And it’s having an impact. Some of the big wins in the Federal budget just signed by the President are because of your collective voice:

$7.5 Billion to expand availability of mental health and substance abuse services
$100 Million to increase Chafee funds to support youth transitioning from foster care
$50 Million to expand the legal representation for children & families in foster care
10% Increase in matching funding for guardianship placements

Foster Care Community Mural

Our community now has a mural created by world-renowned Getty artist and former foster youth, ENKONE. As part of winning the 2022 James Irvine Leadership Award, iFoster commissioned a moveable mural to celebrate our community. The mural has already traveled to the National Mall and Congress to raise awareness and will continue to tour the country next year.

Did You Know?

iFoster is the largest foster youth focused employer in the country. We have over 100 interning with us to provide peer resource navigation support to the community. They are working on finding resources you need to know about. Stay tuned for their Game of TAY learning series for youth transitioning out of care.

Did you or your youth receive Chafee pandemic relief funds otherwise known as supplemental aid? Don’t worry, those funds will not impact financial aid for this year! Supplemental Chafee Grant funds are not considered financial aid and the grant is not counted as income for calculating a family's Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or as estimated financial assistance for packaging purposes.

The supplemental Chafee Grant funds are considered a disaster relief payment and will not be treated as income for the purposes of federal taxation. If you are concerned that these funds are being considered income, call/text or email iFoster and we can help you sort it out.

You or your client may be eligible for discounted or free Internet.

ACP is federal program based on either income or enrollment in a government benefit like Medicaid or SNAP (food stamps) that provides a discount of up to $30 a month per household for Internet and $100 towards a device (laptop, chromebook, tablet). The Internet service can be either in your home or mobile. Many service providers like Comcast are bundlin a device (laptop, chromebook, tablet) with free Internet under this program. Check out what's available in your state and learn more about the program here .

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For more information, please contact: iFoster Support at

855-936-7837 / text 530-550-8001/ support@ifoster.org

Must be an iFoster Member/ Register at www.ifoster.org, it's free!