Foster youth, those currently in and out of the foster care system, need support. That is why the Guardian Scholars Program (GSP) and Next Up, two programs at Skyline College dedicated to helping foster youth, held a speaking event for students who are considered foster youth to share their stories.
At the event, which was held on March 13, three Skyline students who have used these services spoke about their experiences. One topic that was brought up frequently was the mental trauma faced by those in the foster care system.
“Even though I wasn’t moved around a lot, it was still very traumatic,” said Dunhoja Robbins, a Skyline student.
The issues that plague the foster care system can cause foster youth to end up in unfortunate situations.
“I was homeless and living on a beach,” said Ashaye Barnett, another Skyline student.
It is because of these challenges that they are so grateful for the help that organizations like GSP offer them.
“If Guardian Scholars didn’t exist today, I wouldn’t be at Skyline,” Barnett said. “I’d still be on the street with my two dogs trying to figure out what to do … you wouldn’t even know I exist at all.”
Despite being very grateful for the help, students who receive help from GSP want more, and they believe that expanding the program can do a lot of good for people who they believe have been ignored.
“We should add a health part of it for people who struggle with mental health or with health as a whole,” Barnett said.
Barnett believes if GSP added a health aspect to the help they provide for foster youth, it would make a big difference.
“If there is any possible funding for the program or get more food vouchers. The $50 a month does not last a month,” Robbins said.
More help does seem to be on the way from Next Up, a new program for foster youth that recently came to Skyline. While this program will hopefully help more people, there are some critiques of the program.
“Next Up came in with more support for students, but it also came with more restrictions,” said Jose Milan the Guardian Scholars, Next Up Care and Calworks Retention Specialist at Skyline College.
Restrictions, like those listed in the memorandum on Next Up, dictate which foster youth are allowed to receive help from Next Up, which may stop people in need from being able to use the program.
“Youth qualify for the program if they were in the foster care system at any point on or after their 13th birthday,” said Ruan-O’Shaughnessy, the vice chancellor of student services and support for California Community Colleges and author of the memorandum on Next Up.
This means that if someone was put into the foster care system but got out before they turned 13, they would not qualify for Next Up. This is different from the Guardian Scholars Program, which reaches a much wider range of people.
“Anyone who has been in foster care for one day or more, regardless of age or class load, we will support you,” Milan said.
Despite these criticisms, the addition of a second program for foster youth makes Skyline College stand out among its SMCCCD peers in the matter, as it is the only college in the district with foster programs.
With these two programs, the hope is that Skyline College will be able to better support students who have been in the foster care system, so they are not limited in their achievements.
