OUR MISSION
Sunflower provides all current foster youth and former youth in care with networks, personalized resources, and support by bridging the gaps between systems and independence.
Learn More →
Why We Do It?
Foster Youth sometimes find themselves without the emotional and technical skills to start their lives as independent adults and are more likely to become homeless, go to jail, and experience violence than youth who grew up in stable families.
The main problems we are addressing are:
The number of foster youth in care increases daily.
Even with all the foster care efforts and resources available to decrease children being placed in the system. The number of foster youth in care increases daily. There are approximately 391,000 children in care nationwide. 30,000 of those are all in LA County, California.
Foster youth lack an integral support system.
Even though there are plenty of resources available for foster youth, due to gaps in the communication sources and lack of community support, foster youth transitioning out of the system find themselves without access to valuable and available resources.
Foster youth are resilient despite trauma.
Foster youth often suffer from the effects of traumatic stress due to the loss of one or more significant adults in their lives or the effects of abandonment. However, foster youth are resilient and at Sunflower Foster Youth Investment we want to assist increase their resilience.
No matter where in life youth feel they are at we accept them for them. Whether they are in step one or step 30 we want to help foster youth reach their goal.
We believe in the resilience and resource fullness of our youth.
Our History
Sunflower Foster Youth Investment was founded in 2020 as a California Non-profit, providing services to foster youth and former youth in care that need resources to develop a sustainable career and can lead stable, productive, healthy lives.
Sunflower Foster Youth Investment was founded by our Board President Jaci Cortez, after experiencing first-hand the cycle of instability for youth not being addressed by the foster care system and throughout the emancipation journey. During their own time in foster care, they kept hearing that there are “so many resources out there for foster youth.” Yet the success rate statistics for foster youth in school, employment, healthy relationships are still well below the general population.
They realized that the root of the problem was a lack of channels to communicate with foster youth about the resources available. Despite available resources, the lack of knowledge and the lack of help accessing them makes it difficult for foster care aging out of the system to find the tools and support they need. Sunflower Foster Youth Investment was created to address this gap and build a community for foster youth that helps stabilize their transition into adulthood and true independence in Los Angeles County.
Join us in our mission to help foster youth and former youth in care thrive as independent and successful adults so they can live the lives of their choosing.
Meet the Team.
Learn more about our team, the founder, and the Board.
Get Involved.
Learn more about how to support our mission of supporting and connecting foster youth with the resources they need.
Current & Former Foster Youth Cohort Requirements:
16 years old & older
Spent at least 1 day in any form of Foster Care in Los Angeles County
Steps:
Fill out our Interest Form
Attend a 30-40 minutes Zoom intake interview
Weekly check-ins, or as needed. We meet you where you’re at! Let us help you reach your goals!
Spread the Voice.
Use your voice and skills to share our work and help us reach more foster youth.