FOSTERING PROMISE

Description

André Chapman founded Unity Care in 1993 with a mission to improve the lives of foster youth and families. As CEO for nearly 30 years, he led the organization’s growth, providing education, employment, housing, and mental health services to over 7,500 clients annually in Northern California.

In July 2022, Chapman stepped down to focus on ending homelessness for youth aging out of foster care. Fostering Promise, his new venture, aims to secure stable housing and brighter futures for these young people through advocacy, partnerships, public education, and community engagement.

Fostering Promise's roots trace back to 2018, when Unity Care’s Youth Advisory Council, in partnership with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, held discussions involving 7,000 community members. These conversations, led by foster youth, highlighted key challenges and resulted in 13 policy recommendations published as "Community-Driven Housing Priorities in the San Francisco Bay Area."

In October 2022, Chapman teamed up with UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy and Master’s student Emma Barash, organizing meetings with policy makers, educators, and foster youth. Barash’s thesis identified four key policies for eradicating homelessness among former foster youth, forming the foundation for Fostering Promise’s future work.