The Youth Transition Action Team Initiative (YTAT) is an effort launched in the summer of 2004 that seeks to address the issue of transition for youth aging out of foster care by working with California County Child Welfare Agencies engaged in system improvement activities. New Ways is the managing partner for the initiative.

Transition Action Teams are made up of leaders from the child welfare, education, workforce development, and other local systems, working together to improve transition outcomes for youth touched by the child welfare system. Teams are also charged with assisting their county in achieving their child welfare system enhancement goals, particularly in the area of youth permanency.

Teams from across the state are bringing together and leveraging the approaches, strategies, and resources of multiple efforts concerned with the issue of successful youth transition. They are assessing their current capacity to address the needs of foster youth, developing achievable and outcome-based work plans, aligning local resources and programs to meet the needs of foster youth, and putting those plans into action. For more detailed information about YTAT, see the Factsheet (PDF 72 kb) and Initiative Highlights (PDF 67 kb) .

YTAT Approach

To address the needs of foster youth in the context of a comprehensive transition system for all youth, Youth Transition Action Teams are applying the state-adopted All Youth-One System principles of providing an integrated set of services across systems that includes the four core elements of academic excellence, career preparation, youth development and support, and youth leadership, supported by a comprehensive approach among local and county agencies, programs, and organizations.

Impacts

Youth Transition Action Team Initiative impacts will be measured by success in improving outcomes for youth aging out of the foster care system in the following areas:

• Educational achievement and aspiration
• Workforce readiness
• Employment
• Support networks