First Place for Youth

First Place was founded in 1998 by Amy Lemley and Deanne Pearn, graduate students at the University of California at Berkeley-Goldman School of Public Policy. Amy and Deanne were struck by the poverty and homelessness that affects so many young people who grow up in foster care and were inspired to help break the cycle of poverty for these vulnerable youth. With a small grant in hand, they began First Place with four former foster kids—providing critical housing and support around education, employment and financial literacy. First Place was the first organization in Northern California dedicated exclusively to addressing the lack of affordable housing and resources for former foster kids and has grown to become a nationally-recognized model operating in five California counties: Alameda, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Solano, and Los Angeles. First Place believes that our direct service work drives our advocacy efforts, and that our advocacy can provide a context in which our direct services can succeed. The implementation of the Fostering Connections to Success Act is changing the landscape for providers throughout the country. As a result, it is critical that First Place continue to show that strong, outcome-driven programs can succeed in this new environment and that by scaling our program model, we can fundamentally change the way the child welfare system serves young adults who have grown up in foster care. First Place can be a catalyst in building the evidence to support this drive; by doing so, we increase awareness about the policies and practices that will ultimately benefit the entire field and foster youth across the nation.