First Place for Youth

Sam Cobbs. Recruited as director in 2005, Cobbs has navigated the organization through a swift expansion from a local Oakland program to a widely respected institution with a budget of $8.5 million, serving 1,200 youth in four San Francisco Bay Area counties. First Place will continue its rapid growth this year, as it expands into Los Angeles in July. Cobbs notes that… See full bio.

Read Annual Report	Overhead Ratio: n/a
	Total Revenue: $5,934,720

Julie Harris Julie Harris Communications Manager Oct 21, 2010

The Issue Each year in California, 5,000 foster youth will be turned out at the age of 18, ill prepared to live independently. Youth who were originally removed from their homes due to parental abuse, neglect or absence suddenly find… Read More.

Website:	http://firstplaceforyouth.org/	Address:	519 17th Street
E-Mail:	info AT firstplaceforyouth.org		San Francisco, CA 94612, USA
Phone:	510-272-0979
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Story: Read about Bobby Lee's story, a First Place for Youth participant: When Bobby Lee was 5 years old, he, his younger brother and three sisters were placed into foster care because their mom died tragically and there was no other relative who could care for them. He moved around a lot during his time in care, living in five different foster homes and switching schools eight different times. Two days after he graduated from high school and the state financial assistance ended, he was forced to leave his foster home because the family could not afford to let him stay. By this time, he was working for Six Flags amusement park and was able to move into a cheap apartment with a friend. But when his friend decided to move back in with his parents to save money, Bobby Lee could not afford rent on his own and became homeless. While homeless, Bobby Lee would sleep in bus stations and sometimes would even hide in the Six Flags park overnight so that he would have a safe place to stay. Sometimes he would get lucky and get to stay on the couch at a friend’s house. “I was just trying to survive,” Bobby Lee remembers, “but I had no family in a position to help me out and no where to go.” Even though he was working steadily and had his high school diploma, he could not afford an apartment on his own. When Bobby Lee had been homeless for six months, he heard about First Place through his sister, who had recently enrolled in the program. First Place found an apartment he could afford with another roommate from the program. First Place also helped him with money for the security deposit and basic house wares like towels and kitchen utensils. His Youth Advocate worked with him on developing a long term plan for success and helped him find better employment as a security guard that paid him a living wage. He says, “Having a safe place to live gave me the opportunity to concentrate on working and putting a plan together for my future. There was no way I could even think about the long term when I was worried about where I was going to be sleeping that night.” Bobby Lee has been in the program for almost two years and is now self-sufficient enough to be able to afford his housing after he exits. He is also working toward long term goals, specifically joining the military next year. “Now that I’m a stable adult,” he says, “I know I can achieve goals I set for myself. I don’t have to live in survival mode anymore.” He is also hoping to adopt kids of his own one day. “Being adopted is something I always wanted for myself but never got. Even as an adult, it is nice to belong somewhere.” (Read more about other youth who has benefited from First Place for Youth at: http://www.firstplaceforyouth.org/Page.aspx?pid=400)

Evidence of Impact Summary:

98% of all participants avoided homelessness.79% of eligible youth obtained employment; average wage was $9.73/hr. 73% exited with their high school diploma/equivalent (compared to 55% nationally.) 100% of participants secured health care while in the program. 90% of participants report that they feel their Youth Advocate is there to support them.

Organization Strengths Summary:

Bay Area Homelessness experts believe that the First Place for Youth is an outstanding youth service provider with an innovative model. They have a proven track record of being able to help former foster youth secure permanent housing.
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Areas for Improvement Summary:

At the same time, the First Place for Youth should continue collaborating with partners and raise more money to support expansion of their services.
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Recruited as director in 2005, Cobbs has navigated the organization through a swift expansion from a local Oakland program to a widely respected institution with a budget of $8.5 million, serving 1,200 youth in four San Francisco Bay Area counties. First Place will continue its rapid growth this year, as it expands into Los Angeles in July. Cobbs notes that even with First Place’s expansion, thousands of foster youth will remain in need of transitional services to help them lead successful, independent lives. For reducing poverty and homelessness and improving the outcomes for one of California’s most at-risk populations, Sam Cobbs is a recipient of a 2010 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award.

Julie Harris Julie Harris Communications Manager Oct 21, 2010

The Issue Each year in California, 5,000 foster youth will be turned out at the age of 18, ill prepared to live independently. Youth who were originally removed from their homes due to parental abuse, neglect or absence suddenly find themselves without housing, income, education or adult encouragement. Without this critical support: • 65 percent of foster youth will face imminent homelessness •20 percent will be arrested or incarcerated •Less than one percent will graduate from college The Solution Founded in 1998 in Northern California, First Place has ensured that youth become productive, successful members of society by providing an innovative mix of tangible resources (permanent housing, employment, and education support) and intensive emotional support grounded in principles of accountability and natural consequences. First Place provides services that have consistently helped youth achieve success, including: •Transitional housing and rental assistance •Job readiness, training and job placement •Education assessment, link to education programs and academic support •Life skills training, adult guidance, emotional support and positive peer relationships Oucomes First Place houses over 300 youth per year and serves a total of 1,200 youth in California, through housing, education, and employment programs. Now considered a national model for providing housing for high risk youth, First Place has a long history of delivering results with the youth we serve. Data from the last year shows that: •While 65% of former foster youth in California face imminent homelessness, 84% of First Place youth achieve stable housing •While 64% of California’s foster youth do not complete high school, 76% of First Place Youth earn their high school diploma or GED •While 90% of the nation’s foster youth do not enroll in college, 71% of First Place youth attend college •While 45% of California’s foster youth are unemployed after exit, 77% of First Place youth are employed or increase their wages