In each of these Foster Care Work Group national demonstration communities, local leaders are coming together around the Connected by 25 vision and shaping efforts to prepare youth transitioning from foster care for successful adulthood, based on the unique needs and resources in their community.

• In California, the Connected by 25 Initiative (CC25I) is a collaborative effort of five foundations assisting public child welfare agencies and their communities to build comprehensive transition-aged foster youth supports and services for youth 14 through 24. The Initiative is supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Stuart Foundation, Walter S. Johnson Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Charles M. Schwab Foundation. Through comprehensive assessment, planning and practice innovations developed with youth, caregivers, and other partners, effective strategies are being developed that can be spread to improve transition practice and outcomes statewide. CC25I, as part of California's Family to Family Initiative, is building partnerships, integrating systems, and providing an outcomes framework and Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) database for on-going self-evaluation and program improvement in 7 key areas of youth development and successful transition: K-12 Education; Employment/Job Training/Postsecondary Education; Housing; Independent Living Skills; Financial Literacy, Savings and Asset Development; Personal-Social Asset Development, and Permanency. Youth engagement, technical assistance and twice-yearly convenings are important in creating the learning environment that supports successful implementation of Connected by 25 in California.
  
  
• Connected by 25 Florida is an initiative that engages youth, public and private partners to improve outcomes for foster youth through investments in services and programs.  In 2004, Connected by 25 Florida launched its first site in Hillsborough County as a community based effort to align private and public sector resources and services to better serve youth aging out of foster care. The Cby25 Hillsborough program became a Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative co-investment site in 2006. The work of Cby25 Hillsborough is privately funded with grants from The Eckerd Family Foundation, The United Way, Conn Memorial Foundation for Education, The Triad Foundation, The Lerner Foundation, The Lightning Foundation and The Duckwall Foundation. Connected by 25 Florida is currently working with community organizations and providers to expand the Cby25 initiative in Brevard County, Pinellas County and Orange County.
  
  
• In 2008, Connected by 25 Indianapolis received a three-year grant from the Indiana Department of Child Services.  The project will launch in the second quarter of 2008 with a focus on the direct services areas of education, employment, financial development and mentoring as well as system-level reform via improved services coordination, adoption of evidence-based practices, and public policy advocacy.  A community steering committee and youth board will monitor project implementation and advise staff on future directions of the initiative. 

The Foster Care Work Group has contracted with The Finance Project to design a program evaluation to document the implementation process and assess the impact of the Connected by 25 pilot co-investments. The FCWG will disseminate findings from the pilot evaluation, explore lessons learned, and make recommendations for replicating the demonstration.