First Place For Youth

First Place for Youth is a non-profit organisation that supports young people leaving foster care as they move into adulthood. Its programmes combine education, employment and housing assistance for transition-age youth aged 18 to 25 across the United States. The organisation served 1,496 young people in 2024, 90% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous or people of colour.

The flagship initiative, My First Place™, pairs each participant with a dedicated team comprising a Youth Advocate, an Education and Employment Specialist and a Housing Specialist. It offers housing and case management alongside post-secondary education coaching, apprenticeships and individualised supports. Reported outcomes include 98% of participants in school or in work on completion of the programme and 91% attaining stable housing at programme exit.

Alongside direct services, the organisation works in data-driven research, programme evaluation and policy research and advocacy, drawing on independent evaluation by Chapin Hall with follow-up of up to three years after programme exit. It operates through a network of partner organisations and campaigns for systemic change in the foster care system, with an emphasis on permanency, self-sufficiency and living-wage employment.