This October, UNITE-LA's Research and Evaluation team conducted a vital focus group with foster and former foster youth members of the Opportunity Youth Collaborative’s Young Leaders group.

Funded by the Pritzker Foundation, the session aimed to enhance foster youth engagement in career pathway programs. Participants highlighted Instagram as a primary information source and discussed various barriers. A real-time confidential Zoom poll revealed a low unemployment rate among the group (17 percent), but also a significant reliance on public benefits (67 percent), indicating that many employed participants earn below a living wage. These findings will guide UNITE-LA in tailoring our offerings to meet foster youth's unique needs, ensuring they not only enroll and complete our programs but also thrive and secure sustainable employment. A copy of the focus group results can be found here.