A Message From College Success Foundation

On behalf of the College Success Foundation, we thank you for supporting the Washington State Governors' Scholarship for Foster Youth. We are honored to have the opportunity to partner with Governor Christine Gregoire and former Governors Locke, Lowry, Gardner, Spellman, Evans, and Rosellini in support of this very special program.

The scholarship funds that are raised through the Governors' Cup Golf Tournament benefit foster youth who demonstrate preparedness and strong motivation to persist through their college degree programs. The scholarship gives foster youth a chance to change the course of their lives with a college education. It gives them the opportunity to pursue the career of their choice, empowering them to reach their potential as successful and productive citizens.

The College Success Foundation has awarded Governors' Scholarships to 143 students at over 56 colleges and universities across the state of Washington. As part of our commitment to each student's success, the Foundation remains involved in each scholar's life during his or her college education, providing guidance, resource information, advocacy and coordination of financial aid.

Foster Youth in Washington

In 2005, one out of thirty-five children in Washington State was referred to Child Protective Services on suspicion of child abuse or neglect. In 2005, 19,000 children in Washington State lived in foster care at some point during the year. Approximately 9,000 foster youth live in out-of-home care at any given time, although there are only 6000 licensed foster homes in Washington. Seventy-seven percent of foster children are reunified with their families within 12 months of placement; however, those who are not returned home often end up aging out of foster care.

In our state, approximately 400 children leave foster care every year upon turning 18 years old. These are children who have neither been adopted by their foster families nor reunited with their birth families. In 2004, 69 percent of young adults aging out of foster care in Washington State had not obtained a high school diploma. Nationally, less than three percent of former foster youth earn bachelor's degrees.

For many of these children, entering foster care not only means moving into a new home, but also moving to a new neighborhood and a new school. When these moves occur, children in foster care often miss time in school and lose academic progress. Academic progress is also hindered by frequent school absences, inadequate educational advocacy, insufficient supports, and lack of awareness by educators.

Educational outcomes, such as high school graduation, literacy (basic reading skills), taking high school courses necessary for college admission, and post-secondary education or job training are some of the best indicators of future well-being and success for foster youth.

More compelling than these statistics are the words of a young person who grew up in the foster care system. This young person said that the child welfare system took so many things away from him: his mother, many of his belongings, his neighborhood and friends, and one foster parent after another. He said that he learned at a young age that the one thing that could not be taken away from him was his education. At that time, he knew that for him a key to being successful in life would depend on being successful in his educational pursuits.