With funding support from the Office of Child Protection and the Rotary Club of Los Angeles, and in partnership with Alliance for Children’s Rights, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has launched an online tool to provide a customized informative report on resources for youth ages 14–26 who are currently or formerly in foster care and on probation and their caregivers, helping them access critical supports and services they need to thrive. The online tool, accessible at on the DCFS website, allows users to filter eligibility results based on age and on education and employment status.
Based on information in the Los Angeles County Foster Youth Benefit and Entitlement Charts, this new interactive, easy-to-use tool empowers transition age youth involved in or formerly involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, as well as their caregivers and other supportive adults, to discover the public benefits for which they qualify—housing support, health care, financial aid for school, employment opportunities, and much more. Users are encouraged to share their individualized results with their social workers to further explore the programs for which they may be eligible.
“We are thrilled that the benefits guide is coming to life in this valuable online tool to provide vital information to Los Angeles County’s transition-age youth,” Office of Child Protection Executive Director Judge Michael Nash said. “This resource allows youth to engage directly in researching the benefits that will further their success.”
“It’s important to us that young people and their support systems have easy access to the information that can help their transition to adulthood be as successful as possible,” Department of Children and Family Services Director Brandon T. Nichols said. “This tool has the potential to help many youth and we hope that it does.”
“Creating anytime access to information and resources promotes individual agency for transition age youth to help them develop and achieve their employment and education goals,” Alliance for Children’s Rights President and CEO Jennifer Braun said. “This tool provides basic information for youth, caregivers, and other adult supporters about important resources to help empower lives and transform futures.”
