Press Release

Release date: 9/17/02
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Contact: Celeste Bodner, 503-717-1552
Gregory Michaelidis, 202-841-4144

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED FOR YOUTH TRANSITIONING FROM FOSTER CARE

FYI3.com Will Involve and Inform Young People

Site a Collaboration Between FosterClub and
Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative

PORTLAND, OR - A major new website designed specifically for youth transitioning out of the foster care system will be launched on Wednesday, September 18. The site, www.FYI3.com, is produced by FosterClub, the national network for foster kids, with support from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative.

The site seeks to empower young people to become:
> Involved - through message boards, contests and feedback forums
> Informed - offering news, legislation, a glossary, FAQs, and a list of rights and responsibilities pertaining to foster care
> Independent - with listings of opportunities, resources and scholarships in dozens of communities

"We are very excited that these young people will have a resource to help them as they enter a difficult time in their lives. The more good information they possess, the better decisions they can make," said Celeste Bodner, executive director of FosterClub and FYI3.com.

The site also will feature stories profiling former foster youth who have achieved success, and will serve as a venue for numerous youth advisory boards around the country.

"FYI3.com supports the Jim Casey Initiative’s mission of providing opportunities for young people leaving care," said Gary Stangler, executive director of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative.

Every year at least 16,000 young people formally "age out" of the nation’s foster care system. Because the transition process extends well beyond the formal age of emancipation (18 in most states), at any given time approximately 100,000 young people in America are in the process of transitioning from dependency on the child welfare system to adulthood. For too many youth, there is no happy ending at the conclusion of this journey.

Studies have demonstrated that four years after leaving foster care:
- 46% of young people lack a high school diploma
- 25% have experienced homelessness
- 13% have graduated from a four-year college
- 62% have not maintained employment for a year
- 38% have been diagnosed with emotional problems
- 42% have become parents
- Fewer than one in five is completely self-supporting
- A significant proportion have spent time in jail

Evidence indicates there is more success for the young people and for the community if youth take control of their own lives. The goal of FYI3.com is to help young people develop the skills they need to be in control of their own lives and to become leaders in the community.

FYI3.com is completely free, anonymous, and available 24 hours a day.
FosterClub, the national network for foster kids, is a non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon. It was formed by a foster parent who saw a need for a stronger support network for youth in care.

FosterClub’s website, www.fosterclub.com, provides information, support, motivation and camaraderie for youth in foster care. FYI3.com will be maintained as a sister site to FosterClub.com.

The Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative is a major national effort to help youth in foster care make successful transitions to adulthood. It brings together the people and resources needed to help youth make the connections they need to education, employment, health care, housing, and supportive personal and community relationships. The Initiative was formed by two of the leading foundations focused exclusively on child and youth well-being: The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Casey Family Programs.

For more information, go to:
www.fosterclub.com
www.jimcaseyyouth.org

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