Transition-Age Youth Basic Income Pilot (First Cohort)
The Transition-Age Youth Basic Income Pilot (referred to by the County as its "First Cohort") was a first-in-the-nation guaranteed income pilot launched by the County of Santa Clara in July 2020 to support young adults aging out of the county's foster care system. It provided 72 former foster youth with $1,000 a month, loaded onto a prepaid Visa debit card administered by Community Financial Resources, with optional financial mentorship from MyPath and Excite Credit Union. It was funded through the County's general fund ($900,000 initial allocation plus a later $500,000 extension), with in-kind support from nonprofit partners. Participants reported improved housing stability, higher credit scores, increased banking access, and greater school/employment enrollment. The pilot directly inspired California Senate Bill 739, which extended a similar guaranteed income model statewide to transition-age foster youth.
Foster Youth, First-in-Nation, Prepaid Debit Card, County-Funded, COVID-19 Response, Inspired Statewide Legislation (SB 739)
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- County of Santa Clara (Office of the County Executive / Social Services Agency)
- City
- San Jose
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Phone
- +1 408 299 5105
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 72
- Funding type
- Government, Nonprofit
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 18,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 1,000 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 18 months
- Distribution Type
- Pre-paid Visa debit card (via Community Financial Resources, in partnership with US Bank)
- Benefit details
Funds were unconditional and loaded monthly onto a prepaid Visa debit card issued through Community Financial Resources. Participants could opt into voluntary financial coaching from MyPath-trained mentors at Excite Credit Union, and later received incentives for completing surveys and mentorship sessions during the program's extension. The initial 12-month benefit period (approved May 2020) was extended six months in June 2021 with an added $500,000 in county funding, bringing total disbursements to roughly 18 months per participant. The County administered its own evaluation in-house (quarterly reports to the Children, Seniors and Families Committee) rather than using an outside research institution.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligibility was limited to a specific cohort of 72 former foster youth born in a narrow window in early-to-mid 1996 (turning 24 during the pilot), who had an open Santa Clara County dependency case between ages 16 and 21, were currently residing in Santa Clara County, and consented to the program's intake process. There was no open application; eligible youth were identified and enrolled directly by the County. This First Cohort has since concluded; a separate, broader Second Cohort for former foster youth (funded at $1,200/month for two years) began payments in August 2023.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 21
- Maximum age
- 24
Family
- Family Status
- Foster Youth
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Counties covered
- Santa Clara
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Optional
- Complementary program enrollment required
- Financial mentorship/coaching through MyPath and Excite Credit Union (optional, not mandatory)
- Research / participation requirements
Participation in County-administered surveys (baseline in August 2020, periodic follow-ups, and a post-pilot survey in September 2022) and in financial mentorship sessions was voluntary, not required to continue receiving payments. The County itself managed data collection and reported findings quarterly to its Children, Seniors and Families Committee; no outside university or research institution was involved. Reported findings included decreased homelessness (11% to 5%), increased full-time school enrollment (13% to 33%), increased full-time employment (44% to 58%), and increased banking access (72% to 88% with a checking account).
Application Process
- How to apply
There was no open application process. Eligible former foster youth (matching the birth-date window, dependency case history, and county residency criteria) were identified and enrolled directly by the County via its Social Services Agency and consented to an intake process to receive payments. The County's current guidance for its broader GBI pilots states enrollment is through referrals from partner organizations, not open application.
- Selection process
All 72 participants were selected because they met fixed eligibility criteria approved by the Board of Supervisors: born between January 1, 1996 and April 29, 1996; had a Santa Clara County dependency case between ages 16-21; and were currently residing in Santa Clara County. No lottery or competitive selection was used beyond meeting these criteria and consenting to intake.
