The Chronicle of Social Change
In the midst of a brutal pandemic and tanking economy, one California county is taking a lead from former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang in an effort to help former foster youth: universal basic income, no-strings-attached payments to help keep their lives stable in turbulent times.
This week, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved a plan that will provide former foster youth, ages 21 to 24, with $1,000 monthly payments for up to a year, the first time the nascent idea of universal basic income has been directed toward foster youth.
The move comes as unemployment rates in California have approached a devastating 24 percent, with 4.6 million state residents filing for unemployment since March 12.
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