Common ground: At this time of social awareness, let us also help Fresno’s homeless youth
.jpg "Participants at a foster youth homelessness prevention summit held at Fresno City College in 2018. The theme of “teamwork” was chosen by the youth. Their jerseys signified how many placements they had been in before aging out of foster care and becoming homeless. Their names are blocked out to protect their identities. The two FCC staff member jerseys show how many years of service they have as advocates in foster care. CYC stands for California Youth Connection, a youth run advocacy organization that sponsors legislation and fights for change in child welfare.")
“I never got to dream as a kid because I was so focused on surviving.”
Crystal has the typical story of a foster child — filled with every horror and challenge imaginable — but not the expected outcome.
Raised in Fresno, her mother left her on the streets of Mexico at age 11, unable to speak the language and sleeping in graveyards when most children are still afraid of the dark.
By the time she convinced a family member to take her back to the border, she was malnourished and pregnant at the age of 15. Her only proof of U.S. citizenship were fingerprint records from the time she stole a pair of earrings and went to juvenile hall.
She entered the foster care system after undergoing life-saving surgery. Although her subsequent foster homes weren’t ideal, they were a vast improvement by comparison, and through determination, she finished four years of high school in only two.
Crystal credits her daughter as the reason she beat the odds. Only half of foster children graduate 12th grade, and many are in and out of juvenile detention.
“I could have gone down so many roads ... but I didn’t take those roads because I knew there was something better for me, and I wanted to give my daughter a better kind of life.”
Crystal was resolute that her daughter wouldn’t grow up among drugs as she had. That meant she couldn’t give up, despite periods of homelessness from age 18 to 21.
Helping foster youth
Natalie Chavez is working to provide housing stability for former foster care youth as they age out of the system. Chavez, of Fresno City College, has worked in this area for more than 20 years, including as a clinician.
“There’s nothing more powerless than a child who has experienced abuse and trauma. Their voice is discounted more than any other voice,” she says. According to UC Berkeley, more than three-quarters of children in out-of-home placement are Latino and black.
FCC was recently awarded two grants totaling more than $4 million to help establish the new HOPE — “Housing Opportunities Promote Education” — program to implement an intensive student support model on a large scale.
“It is our responsibility to recognize that various vulnerable student groups need additional resources in order for them to be successful academically,” Chavez says.
The grant from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration provides for housing assistance, mental health support, and drug and alcohol counseling. Chavez points out that FCC is the first public education institution to receive the funds for students.
The grant from the California Chancellor of Community Colleges makes FCC a pilot site to address homelessness by providing a rapid response for students. While the first funds will go to help students facing an eviction due to COVID-19, the rest will be used to get students into housing, even if that means renting a room.
Chavez says many working students can afford rent, but don’t make enough to save up for a security and utility deposits. She hopes to create a sustainable model that can be implemented across the state by building creative partnerships with the community to provide assistance and teach life skills.
“I can give you that nominal amount, but how are you going to learn those skills to break that cycle and get out?”
Chavez says many foster youth are never taught the basics — from how to talk to a landlord and make a budget, to opening a bank account and building credit. That’s what happened to Crystal.
Lacking knowledge, she blew her credit at age 18. Then when she was between housing programs, she and her daughter had to “couch surf” for months because she couldn’t qualify for an apartment.
Homelessness can lead to hopelessness with disastrous results, especially for foster youth. Crystal says, “A lot of kids don’t think they can make it or don’t have a chance. They go into drugs, don’t care about their lives, and end up in jail.”
Being there
She implores others to be there for foster youth, not just providing for physical needs but for emotional ones as well , since they’ve been through so much trauma. Chavez agrees.
She says the sweeping foster care reform implemented in 2017 is a good step, but it was only possible because voters agreed to it. She urges us to be aware of what we are voting on, since that legislation turns into the actual programs that impact children.
As we turn our attention to disadvantaged groups in the U.S. right now, I hope we can all agree to support this vulnerable population. All children deserve an environment free of abuse and hopefully full of connection in which they can thrive — rather than ending up in jail.
Additionally, it makes financial sense. The taxpayer’s investment in Crystal has paid off. Today, Crystal works as an interpreter, her daughter is turning 9, and she and her boyfriend just bought a new home — something she never dreamed possible as a child.
Jenny Toste, formerly chief executive officer of ValleyPBS, also worked in public affairs at Fresno State and in local television news. She’s currently a Realtor® and lives in Fresno County. Reach her at jenny@realtyconcepts.com, orTwitter, @JennyToste.
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 6:00 AM.