The Independent Living Skills Program (ILP) and the Early Start to Emancipation Preparation Program (ESTEP) are closed programs with participants 16 to 18 years of age or 14 to 15 years of age, respectively, referred by the Los Angeles County Court system or by the Department of Children and Family Services. The goal of ILP is to help foster youth develop skills that enable them to locate jobs, manage money, and survive as productive citizens outside the foster care system. The goal of ESTEP is to motivate foster youth to begin preparing early for their eventual release from the foster care system and to identify academic and life skills needing enhancement. Los Angeles Trade-Technical College offers a series of classes and workshops for students enrolled in both programs. This makes the college a primary service provider to the largest foster youth population in the state, and funding has increased each year since the programs became permanent in 1993. In recent years new laws and regulations have increased the number of participants the college is contracted to serve (youth 19 through 21 are now eligible for additional services to help prepare them to live independently).

Personnel - At this time there are seven employees - four facilitators, two clerical support staff and a program coordinator - assigned to ILP and ESTEP.

Equipment - Equipment in immediate need of replacement are a copy machine, chairs, desks, and a computer hutch. New pieces of equipment needed are a bookshelf, a scanner, at least two additional computers, computer desks and anti-glare screens.

Facilities - The condition of the current ILP and ESTEP office space is crowded as well as inadequate. The office houses three employees, three desks, a computer hutch, a storage cabinet, a bookshelf, two printer stands a typewriter table, a paper shredder, four chairs and three waste baskets in 136 sq. ft. of space.

Future Program

It is expected that the number of foster youth referred to the college will continue to grow in both the mid term (five years) and long term (ten years).

Personnel - See Projected Faculty and Staff Needs.

Equipment - Items that need to be replaced within the next five years include a computer, a copier, adding machines and printers. New equipment needed will include additional computers, a copier, printers, a fax machine and scanners.

Facilities - A facility to effectively house ILP and ESTEP functions should include: office space for the program coordinator, office space for the clerical support staff, a reception area, two offices for trainers/facilitators, a conference room, a computer room, a classroom with a capacity for 40 students, and a secure storage area.

Staff Development - Staff Development activities desirable and appropriate for ILP and ESTEP employees include training in foster care advocacy, foster care implementation and regulations, teen rights, and emancipation issues. Any topic associated with foster youth, child abuse, and family violence prevention is appropriate as well.