Replication Opportunities

Replication Supports

The Fair Futures coaching model is fully codified/packaged and comes with robust training, technical assistance, easy-to-use tools/frameworks, and an online platform to track progress.

These supports can be tailored based on the youth population and geography; we would help you involve local experts and young people in this process.

Replication Support Package

Based on your organization’s specific needs and budget, we can help you create a customized, tailored implementation and support package that would include:

Training

Includes the core Fair Futures coaching training and a series of academic, career, and housing trainings that would involve local experts and be tailored to the youth population and geography.

Technical Assistance

Includes 1:1, personalized technical assistance as well as small group supports, specialized workshops, organization-wide trainings, and learning communities.

Guides & Materials

Professionally designed and easy-to-read materials, including the Goals & Steps coaching framework that allows Coaches to track goals and progress, based on the young person’s situation.

Replication Supports

How did Fair Futures start?

A grassroots movement was ignited...In 2016, the Interagency Foster Care Task Force was created by the NYC Council, who charged the Task Force with issuing recommendations to improve services and outcomes for youth in foster care. The Administration for Children’s Services led this Task Force and released a set of Recommendations in 2018.
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This created a “moment in time” and a platform to advocate for public funding for the 1:1 supports that young people need and were asking for:

The 26 foster care agencies were excited about the opportunity to better support their young people with sustainable funding;
A group of foundations that funded the launch/growth of several program models that achieve strong outcomes for foster youth were also eager to see these best-practices scaled;
Hundreds of young people came to rally about the importance of having a Coach, someone in their corner who was there for them, no matter what.
Katie Napolitano left her role at a foundation and Emil Ramnarine left his position overseeing NYC’s largest coaching program; they both became independent consultants coordinating this system-wide effort.

How did we develop the model?

The Foster Care Excellence Fund funded a landscape assessment of best practice and evidence-based programs nationally and in NYC to identify/develop the model. Over the next 1.5 years, the Fair Futures model was fully developed and codified by a group of experts in child welfare, education, workforce development, and youth development

How did we get public funding?

In 2019, an advocacy campaign was launched:

A full-time youth leader was hired and a Youth Advisory Board created – see their amazing accomplishments here.
A Steering Committee was formed that meets weekly; it is comprised of several foundations, foster care agencies, the two independent consultants, and the YAB leader
A lobbyist and communications firm were hired, who created the name Fair Futures
100+ organizations joined the FF coalition

Just three months after the advocacy campaign was launched, it was successful in securing $10 million in City funding for all 26 foster care agencies in NYC. In Year 2, $12 million was secured.

How did we help ensure quality implementation of Fair Futures system-wide?

A group of eight foundations, called the Foster Care Excellence Fund foundations, created a robust public-private partnership with the Administration for Children's Services to ensure quality implementation of the model system-wide.

The foundations funded the infrastructure needed to scale the model, including:

Training and technical assistance for all agencies (link here)
The development of an Online Platform to track youth progress
The creation of professionally designed tools and materials for staff in all areas
NYC’s first online, user-friendly directory that contains all 1,500+ high school, post-secondary, and workforce development programs for young people in NYC

What are the early results?

In the first year of Fair Futures implementation, all 26 foster care agencies implemented the model.
Over 350 staff were hired and received 7.5+ days of training. These staff in turn provided nearly 3,000 young people in foster care with 1:1 coaching, tutoring, and an array of individualized academic, career development, and housing supports.

Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, by the end of the first year, nearly 99% of young people engaged with their Fair Futures Coach and nearly all are working on academic/career goals.

Learn more about the founders of Fair Futures

The Benefits of Adopting Fair Futures

Proven Approach

The Fair Futures model is based on evidence-based national programs and existing NYC-based programs that have achieved strong results at scale over the last several years.

Youth-Centered

Coaching allows young people to achieve THEIR goals!

Make it Yours

Tailored to your geography and target population, organizations are encouraged to create their own Fair Futures program name, culture, and infuse existing best practices. All 26 foster care agencies that adopted Fair Futures have their own program names and identities.

‍Learn more.

Example Clients

Developed a training for a national organization, Friends of the Children, on how to coach high school students with their goals.

Delivered a full set of trainings and learning supports to The Door, a NYC-based non-profit organization that provides workforce development programs and wraparound services to over 1,000 youth each year.

Developed tailored supports and training for CASA NYC Volunteer Advocates who want to learn how to infuse a coaching approach into their work with older youth in foster care.

Currently exploring the launch of a coaching center for young people who are disconnected from school/work or system-involved in upstate New York.