FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: Julie Richter | julie@julierichter.co

First Place for Youth Selected to Participate in the Chafee Strengthening Outcomes for Transition to Adulthood Project

Oakland, CA (April 19, 2024) – The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) has selected First Place for Youth’s My First Place™ program as one of four programs to participate in the Chafee Strengthening Outcomes for Transition to Adulthood (Chafee SOTA) project. The Chafee SOTA project is exploring innovative ways to evaluate programs that serve youth transitioning out of foster care, which have historically proven difficult to evaluate with traditional methods.

First Place for Youth’s mission is to help foster youth build the skills they need to successfully transition to self-sufficiency and responsible adulthood. Through initiatives like My First Place and strategic partnerships, the organization is making a tangible impact by providing critical support to at-risk foster youth during a pivotal stage in their lives.

Since its founding in 1998, First Place programs have served over 10,000 young people between the ages of 16-25 in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and six other states. The organization’s My First Place program provides safe, stable housing and intensive case management to equip foster youth with essential life skills and emotional well-being. First Place for Youth also drives systems change through local, state, and federal policy advocacy to remove barriers for foster youth entering adulthood and to impact future generations.

Over the next two years, First Place for Youth will partner with the Chafee SOTA team, led by Westat, to carry out evaluation activities using innovative learning methods tailored to My First Place’s service model. Ultimately, Chafee SOTA aims to develop a portfolio of innovative learning methods to improve the implementation of promising practices and programs while strengthening the evidence of their effectiveness in supporting successful outcomes for youth transitioning out of foster care.

More information from the Chafee SOTA project is available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/project/chafee-strengthening-outcomes-transition-adulthood

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First Place for Youth is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting foster youth in their transition to adulthood. By providing comprehensive programs and services, including housing, education, employment, and support, First Place for Youth empowers foster youth to overcome the unique challenges they face and achieve their full potential. 

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