When Kristi Perez discusses the journey of former foster youth transitioning out of Childcare Welfare Services, her unwavering determination shines through.
The founder and executive director of Inspire Life Skills Training, a nonprofit organization that strives to halt the cycle of abuse and poverty through education, stable housing, education, and the mentorship of foster and homeless youth, quickly points to the statistics: that 50 percent of these individuals face homelessness within five years.
“Twenty years ago, when I decided to launch the organization, I kept hearing about foster kids,” Perez said. “Back then, they all were automatically kicked out at 18 or by their high school graduation. There was no extended foster care or any other programs that were focusing on education.
“When I looked at the statistics—back then I think it was 2 percent of foster kids were graduating college and barely any of them were even trying to go—I thought, ‘Well no wonder the cycle kind of tends to repeat itself,’” she added.
Other factors further illuminate the issue.
Perez says that statistically, by age 25, half of former foster youth are unemployed. About four percent obtain a bachelor’s degree. These realities may seem ominous, and they perpetuate what Life Skills Training says is “generational poverty, abuse, and homelessness.”
Overturning these trends is where Perez and her team come in.
Thanks to a recent grant from the Women’s Giving Fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation, the nonprofit was able to broaden its impact, assisting these vulnerable youth.
“We provide housing for these youth as they age out,” Perez said. “When they leave foster care, they’re under what’s called Extended Foster Care, and they can come to our house. The grant helps us with a larger home we just opened in Corona. We’re going to be taking in double the girls. The resources will help us with programming.”
To that end, the nonprofit offers various life skills classes, college or vocational guidance, mentorship, and professional counseling. Requirements for these youth include: 18-22 years old; willingness to reside in the Inland Empire area; GED or high school diploma; and an interest in attending school full-time and working part-time.
Another key program is Inspired Scholars. This provides former foster youth attending a four-year university to receive monthly stipends and professional life coaching. Requirements include: 18-28 years old; accepted or enrolled in a four-year university; and an interest in attending school full-time.
Perez says the program assists with helping individuals “reach the finish line” to get their degree.
“I want people to know that foster kids are not bad kids,” she added. “They didn’t do anything wrong. It was their parents who, for whatever reason, didn’t have the capacity to be healthy. These young men and women deserve a chance to become educated, learn life skills, learn how to have a job—all the things that we want our kids to learn.”
The nonprofit encourages the public to get involved, too.
The Volunteer Program, for instance, offers opportunities to join a service committee, serve on our executive board, mentor students, or attend the annual fundraising gala.
To that end, the nonprofit is already planning its annual Make a Difference Gala for 2025, which takes place Sept. 13 at the Victoria Club in Riverside. This year marks a 20th anniversary milestone where donors and business leaders converge to raise vital funding for the nonprofit.
“There’s something special in watching these youth realize that they can have a completely different future than what they witnessed in their family of origin,” Perez said. “I remember sitting across from a girl who was graduating and moving out of one of our houses, and she just started crying. She said, ‘I’d probably be like a single mom with two babies and like homeless right now if it wasn’t for Inspire.'”
“I looked at her and told her, ‘No, you wouldn’t because you’re a strong woman,’” she added. “She went on to tell that she didn’t know where she would be without the safety net of having the house and being able to focus on school and having a mentor. Seeing these youth come into their own is powerful.”
Learn more about Inspire Life Skills Training at inspirelifeskills.org.
This story originally appeared in the Press Enterprise, May 2025.
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