ByLi s aThor n| Publ i s hed:Oct ober2,2022at6: 50a. m.| Updat ed:Oct ober7 ,2022at1 1 : 52a. m.
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For merf os t eryout hMar l onSaechaopos esf orapor t r ai tonSanJos eSt at eUni v er s i t ycampusl as tyear ,wher ehegr aduat edi nMay wi t hadegr eei nmar k et i ngwi t hhel pf r om Pi v ot al ,aSanJos ebas ednonpr ofitt hathel psmeett heeducat i onal andcar eerneedsof chi l dr eni nf os t ercar e.Pi v ot al r ecent l yex pandedi t spr ogr am t oi ncl udemi ddl es chool aswel l ashi ghs chool s t udent s ( NhatV . Meyer / BayAr eaNewsGr oup)
ASanJos ebas ednonpr ofitt hathel psmeett heeducat i onal andcar eerneedsofchi l dr eni nf os t er car ehasex pandedi t spr ogr am t oi ncl udemi ddl es chool aswel l ashi ghs chool s t udent s . Pr ev i ous l y,Pi v ot al ’ ss er v i cesbeganwi t hs t udent si nt heni nt hgr ade,buts omet i mess t udent swer e t oof arbehi ndev enatt hatpoi ntt ogr aduat ei nf ouryear s . Addi t i onal l yPi v ot al ’ snew“ Ont heMov e ”i ni t i at i v ewi l l f ol l ows t udent swhohav et ol eav et heSout h Bay,andt henonpr ofitpl anst oi ncr eas er es our cesi ni t sl egi s l at i v eandadv ocacye or t s .Wor ki ng wi t hpubl i candpr i v at eor gani z at i ons ,Pi v ot al s uppor t edappr ox i mat el y500s t udent si nf os t ercar e t hr oughoutSi l i conVal l eyi n2021 .
Accor di ngt oPi v ot al ,chi l dr enmov eei ghtt i mesonav er agewhi l et heyar ei nf os t ercar e. “ Pi v ot al hasal waysf ocus edonpopul at i onr at hert hanl ocat i on.Wewantt omeetouryoungpeopl e wher et heyar e, ”s ai dMar i eChr i s t i neBus que,Pi v ot al ’ sv i cepr es i dentofpr ogr ammi ng.“ I nt hel as t t hr eeyear s ,we ’ v es eent hat24% ofours chol ar sl ef tt hecount y.Ours t udent sneedcons i s t encyt o t hr i v e,s oi ft hey’ r eont hemov e,we ’ r eont hemov e. ” Pi v ot al hasbeens uppor t i nghi ghs chool andcol l egeages t udent si nSant aCl ar aandSanMat eo count i esf orov er30year s ,o er i ngs er v i cesi ncl udi ngoneononeacademi candempl oyment coachi ng,col l eges chol ar s hi ps ,t ut or i ng,car eerr eadi nes st r ai ni ngandpai ds ummeri nt er ns hi ps .I t i scur r ent l ys er v i ngpos t s econdar ys t udent si n24count i esi nCal i f or ni aand1 3s t at esnat i onwi de. Wehav edecadesofex per i encel i s t eni ngt oouryoungpeopl e,andwhatt heyar et el l i ngusnowi s “ t hatt heyneeduni nt er r upt eds uppor tands er v i ceswher ev ert heyl i v e, ”s ai dPi v ot al CEO El i s e Cut i ni .“ Oneoft hemanychal l engeswe ’ r et hi nki ngabouti showt or ei magi nes uppor tandf undi ng s os er v i cescanf ol l owouryout hr egar dl es sofcount yands t at el i nes . ” ev i ous l yknownast heSi l i conVal l eyChi l dr en’ sFundandT eenFor ce,t heor gani z at i onwas Pr r enamedPi v ot al i n201 8.Thenonpr ofithel psyoungpeopl ef r om f os t ercar egets uppor tt oear na s us t ai nabl ei ncomeandr eachs el f s u ci ency.Accor di ngt oPi v ot al ,i t ss chol ar sar e25% mor el i k el y t ogr aduat ef r om hi ghs chool and1 0t i mesmor el i k el yt ogr aduat ef r om col l eget hant hei rf os t er yout hpeer s . “ Ime v ot al i nf al l 201 5,and( I ’ v e)beenpar t i ci pat i ngi nt hepr ogr am s i nce201 7 , ”s ai dDi anaUr i as , m tPi af or merPi v ot al s chol ar .“ Theypr ov i dedhel pwi t hcommuni t ycol l egecour s er egi s t r at i on, under gr adappl i cat i onas s i s t ance,onl i net ut or i ngs er v i ces( and)pr of es s i onal dev el opment oppor t uni t i es .Myt i meatPi v ot al wasex t r emel yhel pf ul . ” Ther ear ecur r ent l ymor et han54, 000chi l dr eni nf os t ercar ei nCal i f or ni a.Chi l dr ens omet i mes r equi r et empor ar yout of homecar ebecaus eofpar ent al negl ect ,abus eorex pl oi t at i on.Thel ar ges t per cent agesar eAf r i canAmer i canandL at i nochi l dr en,accor di ngt oCal i f or ni a’ sDepar t mentof Soci al Ser v i ces .Somechi l dr ens t ayi nf os t ercar ef orweek s ,s omef oryear s . “ Hav i nggui danceands uppor tr eal l yhel pss t eeryoui nt her i ghtdi r ect i on, ”s ai dMar l onSaechao,a f or merPi v ot al s chol arwhoear nedadegr eei nmar k et i ngf r om SanJos eSt at eUni v er s i t y.“ Pi v ot al pr ov i dedaneces s ar ys uppor ts ys t em t hatwaspat i entandunder s t andi ng,andt hatpus hedme t owar dachi ev i ngwhatIwant edt odowhi l eequi ppi ngmewi t ht het ool sIneededt obean i ndependentadul t . ” I nt hel egi s l at i v er eal m,t he“ Ont heMov e ”i ni t i at i v eaddsmor eadv ocacyf r om Pi v ot al , concent r at i ngonr emov i ngs omeoft hes ys t emi cbar r i er st hatf os t erchi l dr enmayex per i ence. “ Now,mor et hanev er ,f os t eryout hneedav oi cei nt hegov er nmentandonl egi s l at i v edeci s i onst hat hav eadi r ecti mpactont hei rl i v es , ”Cut i ni s ai d.