DPSS Annual Report 24_25 FLIP v16_compressed

Children’s Services Division

PROJECT GRADUATE: Helps Foster Youth Find Confidence and a Path to Graduation

Hanuman used to drift through school unable to focus, talking with classmates instead of completing assignments and often skipping class altogether. As a youth in foster care who was struggling and at risk of not graduating high school, he knew he was falling behind but did not know how to change his trajectory. “Once I found the right foster parents ev erything went up from there,” Hanuman said. They checked his grades, encour aged him to stay on track. “They showed me that somebody out there really cared for me.” Hanuman’s journey also brought him to Project Graduate, a program launched in 2011 by the Riverside County Bar Asso ciation and Juvenile Court leadership to help foster youth overcome educational barriers and earn their diplomas. Volun teers include local attorneys, paralegals, court staff and community members

who serve as educational representa tives, offering mentorship, advocacy and consistent support. One of those volunteers is Lyssandra Er win, a paralegal at a local law office who became a mentor to Hanuman, meeting with him regularly over many months and helping him push toward progress. In the first few months, she recalled Hanuman was quiet and unsure of himself. “He didn’t have much to say at first, and I had to figure out how to bring things out of him,” she remembered. “Right before summer, the lightbulb went on. He realized he could do this. Next thing I knew, we had a graduation.” She said volunteers and their students often stay connected long after the program ends. “They are not just our students. They are our family. We are here for life.”

vador also provided support for Hanu man and observed him becoming more willing to talk and share what was on his mind because of Project Graduate. “You could really see his confidence grow. He is an amazing young man. I have seen him grow and improve in pretty much ev ery aspect of his life.” In Fiscal Year 2024/25, ten youth in fos ter care participated in Project Graduate and eight earned their diplomas. The program is helping close the gap reflect ed in statewide data showing that youth in foster care graduate far less often than their peers who are not in care. Each graduate received a new laptop and cash incentives recognizing their hard work. “I feel excited to be finished with high school and to move on with my life and see what God has planned for me,” Ha numan said, breaking out in a big smile as he was talking about the future.

Social services practitioner Miles Sal

Project Graduate mentor Lyssandra Erwin, a paralegal, and Hanuman, a youth in foster care who recently celebrated his 2025 high school graduation with support from Project Graduate.

Riverside County Department of Public Social Services | Annual Report 2024 - 2025

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