Just in Time for Foster Youth

Description

Just in Time for Foster Youth (JIT) is a non-profit organization that functions as an extended family for foster youth who age out of foster care. JIT provides transitioning foster youth with opportunities for self-sufficiency through emergency support, essential resources, and caring personal guidance at critical junctures on their path to independence.

Our target population is all of San Diego County's emancipated foster youth, ages 18-26, who are striving for self-sufficiency through education, employment, and financial management. For most teens, leaving home is a gradual process. Yet foster youth who age out must immediately begin to chart a course without family support. As a result, transitioning foster youth live with no margin for error and one wrong move can result in irreparable damage. Receiving support just in time can prevent homelessness, unemployment, criminal activity, pregnancy, and even death.

Our goal is to ensure that San Diego's transitioning youth attain and sustain self-sufficiency levels significantly higher than the national average for this group. Each of our programs is a building block intended to significantly improve their chances of: securing steady employment with decent pay and benefits; establishing and sustaining stable housing; responsibly managing their finances for the long term; forming families that they can support; steering clear of the criminal justice system; and making meaningful contributions throughout the San Diego community.

We believe the true transformative effect of JIT is not in the things we provide, but rather the ongoing relationships initiated through our programs. We mobilize hundreds of volunteers to connect them to foster youth, not as generic mentors but rather as Champions to help in specific ways that create lasting stability. These ongoing connections to adults also serve as role models and relationship models that were often absent within the foster care system.