This program is designed to prepare young people in foster care and group homes for emancipation. The ILSP offers a range of services to adolescents ages 15.5 through 21 years old. These services include daily living skills, money management, career and educational planning, and housing assistance. We also assist with college visits, selection and application of financial aid for those young adults who are moving on to higher education.

Our goal is to enable the young adults to achieve self-sufficiency before leaving the foster care system and to provide support services upon emancipation.

Standard ILSP

The Standard ILSP program provides services to youth still in care between the ages of 16 through 19. The program is staffed with an Outreach Specialist, Job Developer, Educational Specialist, and an Administrative Assistant. The primary focus of the standard ILSP program is to identify all eligible youth and provide emancipation services with the goal of preparing them for responsible adulthood.

An array of workshops, classes, and activities are offered to meet the needs of the youth. For more information, please contact the Outreach Specialist at
(925) 957-2423.

After Care

The Post Emancipation Program was developed to provide after care services for our emancipated youth. Youth are eligible to participate until their 21st birthday. The post emancipation program is staffed with an Educational Specialist, Outreach Specialist, Employment Specialist, and a Case Manager.

Services are provided on an "as needed" basis to ensure that the youth are meeting their goals. For more information about services and eligibility, please call (925) 957-2421.

Transitional Housing Program

The Transitional Housing Program was developed under Assembly Bill 1198 (AB 1198) and approved by both the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and California Department of Social Services.

AB 1198 has given FamiliesFirst and the Contra Costa County Independent Living Skills Program the opportunity to create options for older adolescents. This collaboration between the FamiliesFirst Foster Family Agency and ILSP has allowed teens to learn critical living skills in the least restrictive environment, their own apartment.

The Transitional Housing Program provides real world living experiences for foster youth age 17 to 19, who are in their senior year of high school, prior to their emancipation from the foster care system.

For more information, please contact FamiliesFirst Foster Family Agency at (925) 602-1750 or
ILSP at (925) 957-2403.

Send comments or suggestions to:

Don Graves, Program Coordinator
e-mail: dgraves@ehsd.cccounty.us

1875 Arnold Drive, Suite 200
Martinez, CA 94553
(925) 957-2404  

To visit the Independent Living Skills Program website please click below.
www.cocoilsp.org

For more information about programs and organizations dedicated to the well being of youth, visit one of these sites:

www.pacificnews.org - YO! (Youth Outlook) is a monthly newspaper by and about young people, which also syndicates articles to newspapers across the U.S.

www.cccf.org - The official site of the California Community Colleges Foundation, find out about services and educational opportunities available statewide.

www.calyouthconn.org - Current and former foster youth making a change in the foster care system. Find out how you can be a foster care advocate.

www.cwla.org - The Child Welfare League of America is the oldest and largest non-profit organization developing and promoting policies and programs to protect America's children and strengthen America's families.

www.childsworld.ca.gov - The web site of the California Department of Social Services, click on to learn about services, information and programs that assist youth in the Foster Care System.