LIVING ADVANTAGE HISTORY
Since 1996, Living Advantage, Inc., a non-profit organization, 501 (C) 3 has been providing services to foster youth. At that time their mission was to provide housing, therapeutic treatment, educational support and independent living skills to at risk youth who are wards of the court in Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Our objective is to prepare our youth with increasing access to K-12 academics, college preparation, independent living, job development skills as well as entreprenuial opportunities. With the utilization of our innovative approach we are better capable to promote the necessary skills for today's high technology market. Living Advantage narrowed down what the most important tools needed to become self sufficient, independent and reach a higher rate of educational success. Since October, 2007, the group home facilities have been exchanged for a virtual home to direct more services utilizing electronic communication, social networking, media and an internet based agenda.
After 11 years of operating successful 24 hour residential care facility group homes governed by the State of California, the new mission of Living Advantage has been redefined to offer our foster youth a way of locating and electronically storing their vital life documents so they are identifiable and able to receive services and resources from the community on a consistent basis. The purpose of this highly secured web application is so that youth will have unlimited access to their personal information. We can better advocate for them as we assist in setting up a data base for their personal history of information. They will be provided with access to continuous on line education and offered independent living skills and employment resources. The website will serve as a virtual online community for youth to voice their opinions, achievements, be engaged at our events and activities that help promote lifelong connections to supportive adults and peers for a higher rate of self sufficiency.
In December 1999, "The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999" was signed into law. This legislation helps ensure that young people who leave foster care get the tools they need to make the most of their lives. It empowers them by providing better educational opportunities, access to health care, training, housing assistance, counseling and other services.
There are so many statistics on this population, but one sticks out in my mind. Mrs. Hilary Rodham Clinton commented from an article she read. Mrs. Clinton stated, "For many Americans, the 18th birthday is an important one. Turning 18 means you can vote. It means you can often go away to get a job or to school. But it should never mean that you're left on your own. For too many young people, turning 18 has been just the beginning of a lonely and sometimes harrowing journey toward adulthood."
The article she read was from a statistic from Casey Family Program. It states, between 18,000 and 20,000 youth aged 16 and older transition from the foster care system each year, Studies show that youth in foster care tend to do less well than their peers in the general population in such areas as high school completion rates and employment. These youth also tend to experience higher incidences of homelessness. Further, research has shown that foster youth are at higher risk of delinquency, substance abuse, and teen pregnancy and parenting. Unfortunately, youth in foster care often do not get the help they need with high school completion, employment, accessing health care, continued educational opportunities, housing and transitional living arrangements. These are the areas in which youth need support to learn how to manage the activities of daily living and maintain connections to siblings, other caring adults and peers. Frequently, the foster care system and other related agencies such as Probation and Mental Health expect these youth to live on their own at age 18. Living Advantage targets our young adult foster youth who come from living in these types of systems and just simply need our support.
