Foster Youth

Welcome,

BRAVO Scholars

The BRAVO Scholars Program provides a sustainable network of academic and personal support services that promote degree attainment, completion of certificate programs and or transferring to a four-year institution for current and former foster students. BRAVO works with students who have foster care or homelessness experiences to develop interpersonal skills to help students become self-sufficient role models and competent adults.

What is a Foster Student

A child or youth who has been removed from their home pursuant to WIC 309 (temporary custody), is the subject of a petition filed under WIC 300 (dependent-victim of abuse or neglect) or WIC 602 (juvenile who has violated the law), or has been removed from their home and is the subject of a petition under WIC section 300 or 602. EC 48853.5(a).

For purposes of the Los Medanos College (LMC), “foster youth” will be defined as any of the following:

  • A child or youth who is the subject of a petition filed under Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 300 (meaning a court has taken jurisdiction over a child and declared the child to be a dependent of the court due to the presence or risk of abuse or neglect). This includes both children who are living at home (i.e., with their biological
    parents) while a dependent of the court as well as children who the court has ordered to be removed into the care, custody and control of a social worker for placement outside the home.

  • A child or youth who is the subject of a petition filed under WIC Section 602 (meaning a court has taken jurisdiction over a child and declared the child to be a ward of the court due to the child’s alleged violation of certain criminal laws) and has been ordered by a court to be removed from home pursuant to WIC Section 727 and placed into foster care as defined by WIC Section 727.4(d) (e.g., placed into a foster home or short-term residential therapeutic program).

  • A youth between ages 18 and 21 who is enrolled in high school, is a non-minor dependent under the placement responsibility of child welfare, probation, or a tribal organization participating in an agreement pursuant to WIC Section 10553.1, and is participating in a transitional independent living case plan.

  • A youth who is or was a ward of the court through a kinship, Kin-GAP, a non-related legal guardianship, or were adopted, with verification of such circumstance

 

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Foster Care to Fame

Monthly Spotlight: Ice-T

icet

Ice-T, one of hip-hop’s first big stars out of Los Angeles, was born Tracy Morrow in Newark, New Jersey. Because his parents died was very young, he moved around between family member’s homes until they decided he was too much to handle. His aunt put into a foster home in Southern Los Angeles. The area was rough. He was exposed to a lot of violence, gang activity, drugs and more– much of which he would describe in his future music career. He eventually joined a Los Angeles gang which, as it did for other members of gangs, provided the kind of love and ties that other kids find within their family. Ice-T once commented, “I first found the word love in a gang, I learned to love in a gang, not in a family atmosphere.” Through high school. Ice- T used his expressed himself lyrically through what is now known as gangster rap. Ice-T has branched out to launch his own record label, to release groundbreaking rap albums, and to tour with his band. Following the birth of his first child, he joined the Army – but went AWOL following a four-year tour of duty. He ultimately received an honorable discharge, and focused his efforts on pursuing a music career, excluding the violence and gang lifestyle. He has become an increasingly visible public figure, speaking out about censorship in the media and on college campuses. He has written a book (The Ice Opinion, St martin’s Press), and has lectured in prisons, high schools and colleges as a spokesman for American youth. Ice –T is also an accomplished movie actor. He has appeared in numerous independent and documentary films as well as full length movies. He is currently staring on “Law and Order: SVU” as Detective Fin Tutuola.

 What is considered homeless?

 A homeless/houselessness student is a scholar who is experiencing a "lack of a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence; and... has a primary night time residency that is: (A) a supervised publicly or privately
operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations... (B) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized,  or(C) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings" (National Coalition for the Homeless,).

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