BRIDGES Program

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) has recognized that there is a significant deficit regarding youth from foster care attending higher education. Acknowledging this need, they are sponsoring a concerted effort called the Foster Youth Success Initiative (FYSI) to bring issues affecting these youth to the forefront and to improve the ability of these youth to access postsecondary education and benefit from the support services that are available but are often unknown to them.

The vision of the CCCCO is to create a statewide outreach and retention effort to better serve current and former foster youth.

The goals of this initiative are to improve the following:

• Access to student services and resources
• Access to academic support
• Retention
• Academic performance
• Completion of units
• Completion of programs and degree
• Transfer rates to baccalaureate

Saddleback College offers supportive services to current and former foster youth through the Bridges to Foster Student Success (BRIDGES) Program. The BRIDGES Program (formerly known as the S.T.E.P.S Program) is funded through the Saddleback College Student Equity Program and is committed to supporting current and former foster youth students. The BRIDGES Program serves as the primary support service for current and former foster youth to access both on-campus and off-campus resources.