NFYI Los Angeles Local Chapter
Leading the way and building the power of current and former foster youth in Los Angeles County.
As NFYI’s first and largest local group, the Los Angeles (LA) Chapter is creating the road map for transforming child welfare locally. The LA Chapter works at the grassroots level to engage youth impacted by the foster care system. Members are empowered to mobilize and organize Angelenos, partners, organizations, and decision makers to support local initiatives that will improve outcomes for youth in Los Angeles County.
The most recent census of unhoused Angelenos conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority found that the county had 3,029 homeless transition age youth (young adults 18-24 who are leaving foster care). Housing instability is a critical issue for many foster youth, particularly those who are aging out of care with no support system, and thus a focus for this chapter.
In 2016, the LA Chapter joined other community partners in a campaign to educate voters about local ballot initiatives to address homelessness. Voters overwhelmingly passed Measure H and Proposition HHH. The LA Chapter was also a key partner in the appointment of NFYI member Tiffany Boyd as youth representative to a Citizens’ Oversight Committee focused on developing housing for the homeless.
Other areas of focus for this chapter include juvenile justice, access to higher education, and COVID-19 vaccine education.
The Los Angeles Chapter’s success stems from focusing on policy, public education, outreach, and ensuring youth are connected with decision makers. The chapter hosts bi-weekly meetings that are open to any current/former foster youth 18 to 30 years old in the county.
To get involved with the Los Angeles Local Chapter, contact NFYI’s Organizing Coordinator Jose Canizal at jose.canizal@nfyi.org or 213-221-1176 ext 105.
LA Chapter Updates
- The LA Chapter, California Youth Connection, and Foster Youth in Action recently co-hosted 75 current and former foster youth at the virtual FosterPower Summit ‘21 to discuss how they could organize to combat homelessness in LA County. Watch the video they created featuring their vision for a collaborative future.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
Support the LA Local Chapter
LA Local Chapter members are hard at work mobilizing support across a county that is more populous than most states! There are a number of ways to support their work:
- Invest in their work by making a donation. Your contribution will help sponsor events, community engagement activities, and skill-building trainings.
- Center foster youth voices in your work. If you’re an elected official, decision maker, or policy maker who values thoughtful input from individuals with personal experience in the child welfare system, reach out to Jose Canizal at jose.canizal@nfyi.org or 213-221-1176 ext 105.
By creating leadership opportunities and training for former foster youth, we position them to inform important policy discussions on child welfare.
