Founded in 1996, LA, Inc., a 501(c)3 is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping at-risk youth. From the beginning, the mission was to provide housing, therapeutic treatment, educational support, and independent living skills to wards of the court in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. After 11 successful years, LA, Inc. aimed for a larger social problem to address—foster youth.

 

With this newfound mission, LA, Inc., discovered there is a staggering number of foster youth who needed help. According to childwelfare.gov, there are 437,283 children in the national foster care system. Statistics show that this group of children are at high risk for homelessness, incarceration, drug use, and other negative consequences from not having a stable family. LA, Inc., offers services that help children attain academic standards that are grade appropriate. In addition, other programs such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Introduction to Robotics also known as “Intro to Robo,” were developed to inspire children with career opportunities they can look forward to after completing their education. 

 

LA, Inc., continued to extend its mission by offering services that help children with vital life documents. On average, foster youth move 7 times and will lose personal life documents along the way. These are essential when registering for school or receiving proper medical care. Later in life, the lack of vital life documents becomes even more problematic. Many of life's necessities such as a driver's license, employment, property rentals, etc. are not attainable without verifiable documentation. As a result, LA, Inc., developed eLockbox, a permanent solution by electronically storing vital life documentation. As adults, former foster youth can easily access their records.

 

To this day, LA, Inc., continues to empower at-risk youth with the resources they need for a better a quality of life.