Administration for Children’s Services Announces Key Findings From Independent Evaluation on 'Fair Futures,' Including Higher Graduation Rates & Stronger Persistence in School Among Youth In Foster Care

February 9, 2026

Fair Futures Provides Dedicated Coaches to Youth in Foster Care; Newly Released Report from the Center for State Child Welfare Data Says “Fair Futures Has Been Successful”

Today, the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) announced key findings from an evaluation conducted by the Center for State Child Welfare Data at Chapin Hall that details the positive impact Fair Futures is having on New York City youth in foster care. Launched in 2019, the Fair Futures program provides one-on-one coaching and tutoring as well as a range of academic, career development, housing and independent living for young people in foster care ages 11 through 26 as well as young people involved in the juvenile justice system. Currently, the program serves over 4,600 young people. According to a newly released evaluation of Fair Futures, youth involved in the program exhibited stronger persistence in school and higher graduation rates than other, comparable youth. Overall, the report states: “Fair Futures has been successful.”

“As part of our commitment to helping youth in and transitioning from foster care thrive, ACS and its partners have pioneered the most robust set of services for youth ages 11 through 26 in the nation. We are pleased that the evidence in the Center’s evaluation shows that Fair Futures, the core of our approach, is working,” said ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser. “We will continue to strengthen our work by listening to young people and following the evidence including this important evaluation.”

“In short, Fair Futures has proven feasible, effective in implementation, and promising in outcomes—the foundation for continued progress,” notes the report.

“This evaluation affirms what young people, practitioners, and partners have long shared; that consistent, relationship-based coaching and tutoring support stronger educational outcomes for youth. We’re grateful for the rigor of this study and view it as an important foundation for continued learning, refinement, and growth of the Fair Futures model as we strengthen and expand this work across New York City,” said Tracy Jenkins, Executive Director of the Center for Fair Futures.

The report is the culmination of a four-year long implementation study and outcomes evaluation prepared by researchers from the Center for State Child Welfare Data housed at Chapin Hall, with funding from ACS and Youth + Families Forward foundations, which include the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, New York Community Trust, Redlich Horwitz Foundation, Tiger Foundation, Ira W. DeCamp Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

In 2025, ACS announced it would be expanding Fair Futures to serve approximately 6,000 youth. Fair Futures is just one of the ways in which New York City is leading the nation in providing support to youth in foster care. In addition to Fair Futures, in 2022, ACS launched College Choice. Through College Choice, young people in foster care attending a two-year or four-year college receive tuition and room and board assistance, as well as a daily stipend. In 2025, ACS also announced the launch of a new program, Career Choice, that will support youth in foster care who are enrolled in a formal trade school program or a job and training skills program.