Journey House is a vital, multi-service non-profit organization established in 1983 whose sole purpose is to assist emancipated foster youth over eighteen years of age to meet their initial independent living needs, to access adequate and appropriate housing, education, and employment, and to build their self-esteem through personalized attention and positive outreach services.

The Journey House After-Care Program is designed to assist emancipated foster youth in their adjustment to independent adult living. Journey House has been committed to assist emancipated foster youth since 1983, and has created an environment to help meet the needs of these young people. The youth are referred to Journey House by Los Angeles County’s Department of Children and Family Services, Probation Department, and Transitional Housing Agencies. Journey House staff develop personal case plans for every youth. Individual case plans focus on immediate needs, as well as, develop short and long term goals. Their immediate and urgent needs include safe and adequate housing, adequate transportation, clean and acceptable clothing, meals and groceries, and counseling. Short and long term goals are academic enrollment assistance, employment, vocational training, and mastery of independent living skills. Journey House staff ensures that the youth’s immediate needs are being met and provides personal services by transporting and guiding youth through the steps that are necessary toward accomplishing their short and long term goals. The Journey House After-Care Program is an essential service that emancipated foster youth need after leaving the foster care system, usually at the age of 18. Our youth are released from the Juvenile Justice system with no real parental and family support system. We stress the importance of learning and becoming an independent productive citizen in society, while, at the same time, providing supportive assistance. By meeting immediate basic needs, we find that the youth in our program have real possibility of changing their self-destructive ways and become law abiding citizens.

Why Journey House is Unique:

All program participants are Former Foster Youth. We are not merely a referral or resource center, but provide personal service by transporting and directly accompanying youth through the steps that are necessary toward accomplishing their short and long term goals. For example, when they need to register at a school, we drive them there and stand in line and walk through the process with them, we sit with them as they fill out job applications and create a professional resume, we feed them and, at times, take them to finer eateries for a new experience. In short, we do not only point the way, but walk with them as they try new experiences in moving ahead in life. We are also unique in that our clients live in individual apartments rather than being housed in one location. We also provide hot meals on Thanksgiving and gifts on Christmas day, so they have a place to go on holidays. In 2009, we opened our program to females for the first time.

Journey House is a place where emancipated foster youth can get help as they transition into independent living from the foster care system. Nearly one quarter of the foster youth leaving the foster care system will experience homelessness within 6 months of emancipation. Many of them lack the ability or the skills to live legitimate and pursue the American dream. Journey House offers opportunities in housing, education, employment, and independent living skills that will provide foster youth who have aged out of the foster care system, with opportunities to succeed academically, professionally, and personally.