Chapin Hall

Evaluating San Francisco’s Guaranteed Income Program for Young People Who Aged out of Extended Foster Care

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) selected the San Francisco Human Services Agency (SFHSA) to administer a guaranteed income pilot (Foundations for the Future) for young people who recently “aged out” of extended foster care. Participants receive monthly cash payments of $1,200 and optional supportive services, such as benefits counseling and financial literacy training and coaching, for 18 months. Foundations for the Future is being evaluated by Urban Institute as part of a statewide evaluation and by Chapin Hall, which is conducting a local evaluation.

This brief describes the characteristics of the 150 young people who enrolled in the pilot. It is based on survey data collected as part of the application process.

What We Did

Chapin Hall researchers analyzed baseline survey data collected as part of both the local and statewide evaluations of the pilot. The purpose of the baseline surveys was to assess how participants were faring at the start of the intervention and use that as a benchmark against which to measure change over time.

What We Found

• Many participants had experienced housing instability during the past year, including 40% who had experienced some form of homelessness.
• Most participants were struggling financially. Half reported having debt and 70% reported that they always or often felt worried or stressed about paying bills.
• Seventy percent were food insecure, yet only 25% were enrolled in the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
• Despite the challenges they faced, participants expressed optimism about their futures.

What It Means

Extended foster care is designed to support young people during the transition to adulthood so that they experience better outcomes after they “age out.” However, our findings suggest that many young people who age out of extended foster care still struggle to meet their basic needs. Our findings also suggest that more targeted outreach is needed to ensure that young people aging out of extended foster care are aware of and enrolling in benefit programs for which they may be eligible.

Survey data collected as young people are exiting the pilot, as well as 1 and 2 years post-exit, will allow us to examine whether pilot participation is associated with improved outcomes across key life domains, including housing, education, employment, financial well-being, and health.

Questions about this work? Reach out to Amy Dworsky.

Read the brief