John Burton Advocates for Youth

01/06/2026

📉 Youth Homelessness Is Down in California — But Progress Is at Risk

A new report shows that youth homelessness in California has dropped an encouraging 24% between 2019 and 2024 — a decline attributed to targeted state investments in housing, supportive services, and youth-centered programs.
KQED

This trend stands in stark contrast to national patterns and speaks to what’s possible when policymakers prioritize young people’s stability and safety. Organizations on the ground — like Youth United for Community Action (YUCA) in East Palo Alto — are playing a critical role in that success.
KQED

But that progress is fragile. Recent state budget decisions and federal funding changes could undermine the gains we’ve made, threatening critical support systems for the very youth we’re working to help.
KQED

At John Burton Advocates for Youth, we know that ending youth homelessness requires not just data and dollars, but true partnership with young people and youth-serving organizations. Today’s news shows that progress is real — and worth protecting.

🔗 Read the KQED article:

A recent report found youth homelessness dropped 24% between 2019 and 2024 in California, thanks in large part to dedicated state funding.

01/01/2026

✨💙 Happy New Year — Welcome 2026! 💙✨

As we step into 2026, JBAY is filled with gratitude for the youth, partners, advocates, and supporters who power this work every single day.

In the year ahead, we remain committed to expanding housing opportunities, strengthening educational pathways, and advancing the policies that help California’s foster youth and youth experiencing homelessness build stable, thriving futures.

Thank you for standing with us — for believing in young people, investing in their potential, and joining us in the movement for equity and opportunity.

Here’s to a year of impact, progress, and possibility.
Happy New Year from all of us at JBAY! 🎉💙

12/23/2025

🎁✨ Happy Holidays from JBAY! ✨🎁

As we close out the year, we’re reflecting on the incredible strength, brilliance, and resilience of California’s foster youth and young people experiencing homelessness.

At JBAY, our work is grounded in one simple belief: every young person deserves stability, opportunity, and a safe place to call home. This year, with your partnership, we helped expand housing, improve access to education, and strengthen the supports youth rely on to build independent, thriving lives.

To our community of youth, advocates, supporters, and partners — thank you for showing up with heart, determination, and hope. You make this movement possible.

From all of us at JBAY, we wish you a joyful, restful, love-filled holiday season and a bright start to the new year. 💙

Together, we’ll keep fighting for a future where every young person can succeed.

12/22/2025

📚 JBAY Holiday Book Club: Four Reads for Reflection

The end of the year is a time when many of us slow down, reflect, and reach for books that deepen our understanding of the world and the work ahead. At JBAY, the holidays are a moment to reconnect with the values that guide our commitment to foster youth and young people.

This season, we’re sharing four books that offer powerful insight into the foster care system, youth resilience, and the impact of strong public systems:

1. I Yell Because I Care – Senator John Burton
The memoir of our founder, this book traces Senator Burton’s decades of public service and the convictions that shaped his fight for children and families. It is foundational to JBAY’s mission and the history that continues to guide our work.

2. A Place Called Home – David Ambroz
A clear-eyed account of childhood marked by poverty, homelessness, and foster care. Ambroz’s story underscores the urgency of early, stable support and the possibility that emerges when young people are given real opportunity.

3. Invisible Child – Andrea Elliott
This Pulitzer Prize–winning work follows a family navigating housing instability, child welfare involvement, and public systems under strain. Deeply reported and humane, it remains one of the most important books on child welfare in America.

4. Three Little Words – Ashley Rhodes Courter
An intimate memoir of growing up in foster care, written with honesty about fear, displacement, and resilience. A widely read book that continues to resonate with advocates and caregivers alike.

If you’re looking for meaningful holiday reading or a thoughtful gift, these titles are a powerful place to begin.

Warm holiday wishes from all of us at JBAY 💙

12/15/2025

🎉 Honoring Senator John Burton on His Birthday — December 15 🎉

Today, we celebrate the birthday of Senator John Burton, the founder of John Burton Advocates for Youth and a lifelong champion for California’s foster youth and young people experiencing homelessness.

Senator Burton built JBAY on a simple, powerful belief: every young person deserves the chance to thrive. His unwavering commitment, bold leadership, and decades of advocacy transformed the landscape of supports for foster youth across California — expanding access to housing, education, and stability for thousands.

Though Senator Burton passed away on September 7, 2025, his legacy lives on in every young person who finds hope, opportunity, and a path forward because of the work he set in motion.

Today, and every day, we carry forward his fierce dedication, unapologetic love for youth, and relentless fight for justice.

Happy Birthday, Senator Burton.
Your impact continues to shine. 💙

12/09/2025

📢 New Webinar: Extended Foster Care & Youth Homelessness

December 10 at 10 AM PT
Join JBAY and TAY-Hub for a deep dive into new CalYOUTH findings on how extended foster care shapes a young person’s risk of homelessness. 🔍📊

Key insights:

• 1 in 5 youth experience homelessness by age 19
• Leaving care early = 3x higher risk
• Supportive placements like THP-NMD and FFA homes offer strong protection 🏡✨

Featuring Dr. Mark Courtney and Selena Liu-Raphael.
👉 Register at the link in bio 🔗

Let’s work together to build stability, safety, and opportunity for all young people. 💙

12/09/2025

📢 New Webinar: Eyes on California – Extended Foster Care & Youth Homelessness
December 10 at 10:00 AM PT

Youth homelessness is preventable — and new research is shedding light on how extended foster care can make the difference. Join JBAY and the Transition-Age Youth Research & Evaluation Hub (TAY-Hub) for a deep dive into fresh findings from the CalYOUTH Study. 🔍📊

This new analysis links CalYOUTH survey data with state administrative data to better understand how placements and time spent in extended foster care impact a young person’s risk of homelessness. The findings are striking:
• Nearly 1 in 5 youth experience homelessness between ages 17 and 19
• Youth who exit care before 19 are 3x more likely to become homeless
• Supportive placements like THP-NMD and FFA homes offer the strongest protection 🏡✨

Featuring:
🎙️ Dr. Mark Courtney, TAY-Hub Co-Director
🎙️ Selena Liu-Raphael, California Alliance of Child and Family Services

Together, they’ll unpack what these findings mean as California undertakes major foster care rate reform — and what opportunities exist to strengthen extended foster care statewide.

👉 Register now: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Agkbe9u-Qreewf7JNvtmDQ #/registration

Let’s work together to ensure that every young person transitions into adulthood with stability, safety, and opportunity. 💙

12/04/2025

New on the JBAY Blog ✨

California’s Foster Youth Tax Credit is delivering real results.
In just three years, more than 16,000 foster youth have received $17M+ from this first-in-the-nation policy — a meaningful boost for young people building stability and independence. 💙

Read the full story on our blog.

🔗 Link in bio
📘 Innovative Foster Youth Tax Credit Yields $17M+ for Foster Youth in Three Year

12/04/2025

New on the JBAY blog: The Foster Youth Tax Credit is delivering real results.

Three years after JBAY championed the nation’s first Foster Youth Tax Credit, the data is in — and the impact is powerful. More than 16,000 foster youth have received $17M+ from this groundbreaking policy, with millions more still being unlocked.

For young people transitioning into adulthood without a family safety net, this boost in income is meaningful and measurable.

Read the full blog to learn what this innovative tax credit is achieving and what comes next for California’s foster youth.

Back in 2021, JBAY proposed a new poverty-reduction measure for foster youth: the nation’s first-ever Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC). Thanks to the visionar ...

12/02/2025

This Giving Tuesday we are reflecting on a year that changed our organization in profound ways.

We mourned the passing of our founder, Senator John Burton, whose fierce commitment to justice reshaped what is possible for foster youth and young people experiencing homelessness. His loss is deeply felt, and his legacy remains the standard we strive toward. ❤️

We are also celebrating the leadership that carries this mission into the future. Our Executive Director, Sarah Pauter, is an impacted leader who grew up in the child welfare system. Her lived experience strengthens every part of JBAY’s work and ensures that young people remain at the center of our advocacy. Her leadership shows how powerful policy can be when it is guided by those who have lived it. 💪✨

In 2025 JBAY protected essential state investments for housing, education, and independent living. We advanced policy solutions that prevent homelessness, support college persistence, and expand opportunity across California. These victories reflect the determination of our team and the resilience of the young people we fight for every day.

On this Giving Tuesday we invite you to stand with us.
Your support sustains John Burton’s legacy and fuels the impacted leadership that drives JBAY forward.

Make an impact. Support JBAY today. 🙌💙
👉 jbay.org/donate

12/01/2025

Applications Now Open for the John Burton Fellowship
Deadline: December 8, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST

The John Burton Fellowship, created in partnership with the Center for California Studies at Sacramento State, is the first statewide initiative designed to open real pathways into policymaking careers for current and former foster youth.

Grounded in the legacy and excellence of the Capital Fellows Programs, this fellowship offers an immersive, yearlong placement in the California Legislature or Executive Branch. Fellows gain hands-on experience shaping policy, supporting legislative or agency teams, and driving equity for communities across the state.

The program includes weekly seminars, intensive professional development, and direct mentorship to help participants build strong networks, deepen their policy knowledge, and thrive in high-impact government settings.

Fellows receive a comprehensive benefits package. This includes a stipend, full health coverage, academic credit, and individualized advising that supports both professional and personal success. The fellowship is open to individuals with lived experience in foster care who are committed to public service, leadership, and equity-driven change.

This initiative reflects JBAY’s vision to remove longstanding barriers to government careers and ensure that young people with lived expertise help shape California’s most important policies.

Learn more and hear directly from program leaders and alumni by watching our webinar:
https://jbay.org/john-burton-fellowship/

If you are interested in applying for the Capital Fellowship Program with the Center for California Studies at Sacramento State, please click here.
Applications are due December 8, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST.

12/01/2025

The John Burton Fellowship, created in partnership with the Center for California Studies at Sacramento State, is the first statewide initiative designed to open real pathways into policymaking careers for current and former foster youth.

Grounded in the legacy and excellence of the Capital Fellows Programs, this fellowship offers an immersive, yearlong placement in the California Legislature or Executive Branch. Fellows gain hands-on experience shaping policy, supporting legislative or agency teams, and driving equity for communities across the state.

The program includes weekly seminars, intensive professional development, and direct mentorship to help participants build strong networks, deepen their policy knowledge, and thrive in high-impact government settings.

Fellows receive a comprehensive benefits package. This includes a stipend, full health coverage, academic credit, and individualized advising that supports both professional and personal success. The fellowship is open to individuals with lived experience in foster care who are committed to public service, leadership, and equity-driven change.

This initiative reflects JBAY’s vision to remove longstanding barriers to government careers and ensure that young people with lived expertise help shape California’s most important policies.

Learn more and hear directly from program leaders and alumni by watching our webinar:
https://jbay.org/john-burton-fellowship/
If you are interested in applying for the Capital Fellowship
Applications are due December 8, 2025 at 11:59 PM PST.