Building Brighter Futures: Our Partnership with The Relatives

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At First Place for Youth, we are proud to partner with The Relatives in Mecklenburg County, NC, an organization that […]

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Press Release: Foster Youth Move into New Affordable Housing in San Jose through First Place for Youth

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 24, 2025 MEDIA CONTACT:First Place for YouthJulie Richter | julie@julierichter.co480.818.8022 Foster Youth Move into New Affordable Housing […]

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2024 Local Heroes Celebrates $2.5 Million in Pasadena Community Foundation Grant Awards

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The greater Pasadena community joined Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) for an uplifting celebration on Thursday, November 14 — the 25th […]

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Expanding Housing Navigation Support for Foster Youth 

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At First Place for Youth, we’re committed to ensuring that young people transitioning out of foster care have the support […]

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Insights from San Francisco’s Mayoral Forum on Transition-Age Foster Youth

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As the CEO of First Place for Youth, I’m thrilled to share my thoughts and impressions on the recent mayoral […]

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Bread & Roses: A Rallying Cry for Social Justice

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By First Place for Youth CEO, Thomas G. Lee I recently had the chance to revisit the iconic poem Bread […]

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First Place for Youth Expands My First Place™ Program to Mississippi 

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We are thrilled to announce the expansion of our nationally recognized My First Place™ program to Hattiesburg and the Mississippi […]

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How a former foster youth in LA County is taking advantage of a 2nd opportunity

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PASADENA, Calif. — After going through many hardships, Sky Celine is still persevering and trying to accomplish her dreams.

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Press Release: Transition-Age Foster Youth in Mississippi to Benefit from Innovative New Housing Program

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JACKSON, MS (September 5, 2024) — First Place for Youth, the nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting foster […]

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Pasadena Star-News: Groundbreaking housing project for foster youth unveiled in East Pasadena

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Six young people transitioning out of foster care now have a place to call their own, thanks to a groundbreaking housing project unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony in East Pasadena on Wednesday, Aug. 7.

The initiative is the result of an unprecedented partnership between educational, nonprofit and governmental leaders in the region to tackle student homelessness, a growing problem in Los Angeles County, project leaders said.

It has successfully transformed two properties at 2322 E. Foothill Blvd. into six studio apartments for young adults aged 18-21.

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EdSource: Pasadena City College opens housing for transitional-age foster youth

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Pasadena City College will provide students who are transitioning out of foster care with studio housing units, LAist reported.

First Place for Youth CEO Thomas Lee told LAist that it can be difficult for foster youth to graduate due to insufficient housing, transportation and economic resources.

Among transitional youth, less than 10% of those who attended college completed a degree, a report found.

“As we call it in the world of child welfare, they always have the ‘cliff’ staring at them when all the services and supports kind of fall away, and they have to be able to do it on their own,” Lee told LAist.

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LAist: Pasadena City College opens first housing unit for foster youth

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Pasadena City College is opening its first housing unit near its campus for transitional-age foster youth.

The six studio units will be for PCC students who are aging out of foster care in an effort to support students toward graduation, said Thomas Lee, CEO of First Place for Youth, a youth services agency that’s partnering with the college.

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A Candid Conversation on Foster Care: Insights from First Place for Youth CEO Thomas Lee and Foster Youth 

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On June 5, 2024, First Place for Youth CEO Thomas Lee sat down with four remarkable young adults—Sky Celine (she/her), […]

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Press Release: First Place for Youth, Heritage Housing Partners, and Pasadena City College Announce Innovative Housing Partnership for Transitional Age Youth

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 16, 2024 MEDIA CONTACT:First Place for YouthJulie Richter | julie@julierichter.co480.818.8022 LOS ANGELES, CA (July 16, 2024) – […]

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Julie Richter | julie@julierichter.co First Place for Youth Selected to Participate in the Chafee Strengthening […]

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Advancing Equitable AI in the US Social Sector

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One example of an organization using AI to support evidence-based decision-making is First Place for Youth, an organization that helps foster youth make a successful transition to self-sufficiency and responsible adulthood. First Place for Youth built a recommendation engine that uses precision analytics—a technology that predicts trends and behavioral patterns by discovering cause-and-effect relationships in data—to analyze program administration and case assessment data, and learn from differences in outcomes among youth.

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Empowering Young Lives: Updates from My First Place™ Program Launch in New Jersey 

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Nearly six months ago, First Place for Youth and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (NJ DCF) launched […]

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Share the Spirit: After years in the foster system, a young woman gets a room of her own

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With First Place for Youth in her corner, Jayla Lackaff is studying video game design at College of Alameda

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Press Release: Launch of life-changing program for homeless youth in New Jersey

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 11, 2023  Young People at Risk for Homelessness Enter New Housing, Education, and Employment Program Transformative New […]

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