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Creating a Brighter Future for Orange County’s Young People
It has been said that the best way to predict the future is to create it. For over 40 years, Orangewood Foundation has not only predicted but actively shaped the future for thousands of young adults in Orange County’s foster care system.
The needs of our young people have evolved, but one thing has remained constant: our commitment to meeting the moment. We’ve built a network of services that form a powerful safety net, ensuring young people have the resources, opportunities, and support they need to succeed.
Orangewood Foundation doesn’t just imagine a brighter future—we create it.
The Visionaries Who Started It All
Our journey began in 1981 with two visionary leaders—General William Lyon and William Steiner—who recognized the urgent need for a safe, stable environment for abused and neglected children in Orange County.
Through an unprecedented public-private partnership, they mobilized a coalition of businesses, organizations, and individuals, raising over $8 million to build the Orangewood Children’s Home. In 1985, those doors opened, providing immediate refuge for vulnerable youth in need of care and protection.
But Lyon and Steiner didn’t stop there. They saw a gap in services—what happened to young people in foster care once they turned 18 and aged out of the system? Who would guide them into adulthood?
Rather than accept the status quo, Orangewood Foundation pivoted. We expanded our mission to focus on young adults transitioning out of foster care, ensuring they had access to education, employment opportunities, housing, and life skills.
Rather than accept the status quo, Orangewood Foundation pivoted. We expanded our mission to focus on young adults transitioning out of foster care, ensuring they had access to education, employment opportunities, housing, and life skills.
That shift was just the beginning.
Expanding to Meet the Needs of Young People
By 1986, Orangewood Foundation had broadened its services to support four essential building blocks for a successful future:
- Basic Needs & Support
- Housing
- Life Skills & Employment
- Education
Recognizing the unique and complex challenges that young people in foster care face, we developed programs that addressed both immediate needs and long-term success. Two key initiatives emerged from this effort:
The Orangewood Resource Center (ORC)
A safe haven and support hub, the ORC provides essential services for young people, whether they need a warm meal, a shower, career guidance, or life skills coaching. More than just a place to receive help, it’s a launching pad for young people to connect with resources that will change the trajectory of their lives.
Rising Tide Housing Program
Aging out of foster care often leads to homelessness—nearly 40% of youth formerly in foster care experience housing insecurity within their first year of adulthood. Our Rising Tide program provides stable, affordable housing for young adults, helping them find jobs, pursue education, and ultimately transition into independent living.
Pioneering Change in Education
As increasing numbers of former foster youth enrolled in college, it became clear that additional support was needed to ensure they thrived in an academic setting. Orangewood Foundation once again led the charge, pioneering new programs designed specifically for young people:
Guardian Scholars Program: A National First
In 1998, Orangewood partnered with Cal State Fullerton to launch the first Guardian Scholars Program in the nation. Former foster youth in higher education faced overwhelming barriers—low graduation rates, lack of financial support, and no family guidance. Our program changed that.
By offering comprehensive support, from tuition assistance to mentorship, Guardian Scholars boosted the college graduation rate for young people formerly in foster care from a staggering 2% to an impressive 70% among participants. This model became the gold standard, inspiring similar programs across the country.
Advanced Studies Fund: Breaking Barriers in Higher Education
By 2009, we identified another challenge—less than 1% of former foster youth pursued postgraduate education. To close this gap, we established the Advanced Studies Fund, providing scholarships for those seeking master’s degrees or professional certifications. Since its inception, we’ve awarded 175 scholarships, creating a tight-knit community of scholars who uplift and support one another.
Centering Young People in Every Decision We Make
As we entered the 2010s, we didn’t just grow—we evolved. We became more responsive, more connected, and more attuned to the voices of the young people we serve. Every program we create reflects their lived experiences and aspirations.
Samueli Academy: A Game-Changer in High School Education
In 2013, after years of research and planning, we opened Samueli Academy, a tuition-free charter high school designed to improve graduation rates for young people in foster care. Located in Santa Ana, this school provides a rigorous curriculum, individualized support, and a stable learning environment, giving priority enrollment to students in foster care.
Youth Connected Program: Stability Beyond the Classroom
For youth in foster care, stability and support are key to academic success. Recognizing this, we launched the Youth Connected Program (YCP)—a licensed foster family agency dedicated to providing a safe and structured home environment for students attending Samueli Academy. YCP ensures students have access to specially trained foster families who support their educational and emotional growth. Additionally, some students reside in on-campus dorm-style housing during the school week, returning to their foster homes on weekends and school breaks. By combining academic resources, mentorship, and family-based care, YCP creates a holistic support system that empowers students to thrive both in and beyond the classroom.
Looking to the Future: The Next Chapter of Orangewood Foundation
Four decades in, Orangewood Foundation remains as innovative and forward-thinking as ever. Our founders built a legacy of action, not just words, and we honor that by continuously seeking better solutions for the young people we serve.
Our founders built a legacy of action, not just words, and we honor that by continuously seeking better solutions for the young people we serve.
The road ahead is clear:
- We will refine and expand our existing programs to ensure they remain impactful
- We will listen to our young people, learning from their experiences to guide our future initiatives
- We will continue forming partnerships, leveraging resources, and applying innovative solutions to solve systemic challenges
Everything we’ve accomplished so far is just the beginning.
The next chapter is ours to write, and we invite you to be part of this journey!
