Preparing Youth for Adulthood

The New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS) is establishing outcomes against which the child welfare system as a whole will be measured to ensure that all young people receive the same high quality support and service regardless of which provider is working with them, and that young people are achieving their potential. Over half of the children in ACS foster care now are over the age of 12. Recognizing the special challenges these youth face as they navigate the difficult transition from adolescence to adulthood, ACS has established this plan for Preparing Youth for Adulthood (PYA).

As the policies, initiatives, and program shifts outlined in this plan are put into practice, ACS expects to see progress in the following areas in 2007:

• Increased discharges to family settings, through adoption or reunification (including discharge to extended kin)
   
• Increased discharges to safe and stable housing
   
• Increase in youth discharged with sufficient educational attainment or vocational training to secure stable employment at a living wage

Monitoring progress toward these outcomes will require changes in the way that ACS oversees its contracts with foster care agencies. Therefore, the Performance Evaluation System and Evaluation and Quality Improvement Protocol will be adjusted.