Santa Clara County cuts could affect foster youth education support
Santa Clara County is considering cuts to educational support services for foster youth. The programs help students with coaching, scholarships, career preparation and basic resource connections.
Proposed Santa Clara County budget reductions could affect education services for foster youth, a group with far higher dropout rates than other students statewide. In the 2023 to 2024 school year, 25% of foster youth left high school before graduation, compared with 9% of students outside foster care.
Matt Bell, CEO of a Silicon Valley nonprofit serving foster youth, is urging the county to keep services such as academic coaching, school advocacy, scholarships and help finding housing, mental health and food resources. Since an education manager partnership began in 2020 with the Santa Clara County Office of Education, the high school graduation rate for county foster youth in the program has risen by nearly 10%.