Fostering Youth Independence’s recent Charlie Brown Holiday party was attended by dozens of local foster youth and their volunteer Allies.

The guests, dressed in matching holiday pajamas, enjoyed breakfast, participated in a team competition to build cardboard doghouses for Snoopy and hung out with Santa Claus.

Each youth also received a holiday stocking, as well as a giant bag of gifts generously donated by members of the Santa Clarita Valley community.

The holiday party is an annual event held by FYI to bring together foster youth in the SCV who are aging out of the foster care system without finding a permanent family or home.

Facts about foster youth: Leaving foster care without achieving permanence carries lifelong consequences. Only 55% will have a high school diploma and only 4% will graduate college with a bachelor’s degree. Thirty-six percent will experience homelessness within the first 18 months and 25% will be incarcerated within two years.

FYI is a SCV nonprofit with a mission to equip foster youth to complete post-secondary education and become successful, independent adults.

FYI provides SCV’s transition age foster youth (age 16 to 25) with necessary services, support and resources to make sure they can access educational opportunities and reach their goals.

Foster youth are paried with an FYI Ally who helps mentor and provide guidence.

For more information on how you can help SCV foster youth visit https://fyifosteryouth.org/.

Ally Carlos Romero with his youth and Santa at the annual FYI holiday party.

Foster youth build houses for Snoopy at the recent FYI Charlie Brown Pajama Party.

Santa visits Ally Patrick Meaney with his youth.