Following a board motion authored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) launched the TAYportunity Guaranteed Income (GI) Program. The program issues a $1,000 GI payment to 300 randomly selected Transition Aged Youth (TAY) between the ages of 18 to 24, who are currently receiving employment services through the department's General Relief Opportunity for Work (GROW) Program.
GROW offers targeted services through the TAYportunity Program that is designed specifically to support youth who are receiving General Relief benefits. The GI program provides uninterrupted basic monthly income payments for 36 months and exemptions from having to meet certain General Relief requirements. Many of these youth have had limited education and career opportunities and have experienced significant life challenges, including being unhoused or unsheltered.
Educate California was chosen by the Department of Public Social Services to provide benefits counseling, monthly workshops, quarterly check-ins, referrals to employment training programs, internships, apprenticeships and more for the youth. We also provide LifePrep Academy college, career, entrepreneurship and financial literacy trainings to ensure participants use their funds wisely, gain access to needed resources and develop a plan for a successful future.
To date, the Guaranteed Income program has seen numerous successes including having several young adults return to complete their high school diploma, many have enrolled in community college, more than 100 have attended our monthly workshops and others have found employment or paid internships.