Scott Foundation

Scott Foundation sparks the potential in Arizona Foster Youth with programs that are unique in the Country. We focus on 13 to 17-year olds and young adults 18-25, since they are considered to be within the Arizona Department of Child Safety and Healthcare transition period. We help these young people gain practical skills for life but more importantly to develop a healthier sense of self, compassionate hearts and purposeful career paths.

Our teens learn to live in selfless service to others and evolve emotionally so that their perspective about life shifts and their individual potential blossoms. Our Masterclass program averages 100 learning experiences per-year, per person and provides experiences in 8 different and exciting vocations, so our participants have a better chance at success.

When Foster Teens Turn 18

For most young people turning 18, it's an exciting time, a right of passage into adulthood with graduation around the corner and many looking forward to college or an exciting career on the horizon. They have confidence and enthusiasm. But, for teens in the foster care system, it's different. When these young people turn 18 and "age out" of the system, this is the result:

Only 54% will have a high school diploma
20% will become homeless within a year
25% will become incarcerated within two year
Only 50% will be underemployed by age 24
Only 3% will obtain a college degree
71% of all girls will become pregnant before age 21

Reactive Solutions

Those results make perfect sense since most of the foster care system is reactive rather than pro-active. A child escaping neglect: abuse - sexual, physical or emotional; crime; poverty or an environment filled with addiction is first rescued, then their basic needs are met. What foster care provides is basic needs. But these young people, with the backgrounds they've had, need more. Still, no state system seems to have the answers, so they just keep putting out fires with their funding. To illustrate this more clearly, this is how the State of Arizona allocates funding related to Arizona's Foster Care System. They spend an average of $513,759 per-year per child on:

$24,805 - Imprisonment
$114,610 - Juvenile Corrections
$8,406 - Human Trafficking & Prostitution
$4,703 - Substance Use & Disorders
$90,703 - Welfare
$29,618 - Pregnancy & Family Services
$22,845 - Food Stamps
$87,632 - Homelessness
$33,985 - Disability Service
$88,639 - Healthcare
$7,813 - Education

Our Proactive Approach

Conversely, Scott Foundation's approach is proactive. The teens who volunteer to participate in our Masterclass program gain the benefit of a loving community and extended family experience. Their horizons are expanded with exposure to 8 different careers and experiences in those careers that average 100 per-year. Some careers are new, exciting and are ones they never imagined.

We provide programs to develop each teen's self-esteem, self-acceptance, self-confidence and offer other personalized guidance as well as practical life-skills training so these young adults transition into real life much better equipped.

The young people, who experience just a taste of what we offer, and are forced to leave for one reason or another, generally still stay connected to us via more than one vehicle we provide. The Scott Foundation lifeline is one that doesn't disappear, even when teens "age out" of the system.

Our Outcomes

For participants who remain in our program:

100% graduate high school
82% average decrease in case "incident" reports
No arrests
No pregnancies
80% reduction in prescribed drugs
90% average reduction in self-harm attempts
97% average program attendance
450 average volunteer hours per youth, annually