The Azgari Foundation blog

Careers, programs, and the benefits every young person leaving foster care should know about — written plainly, sourced properly, updated as programs change.

Mission & Programs

Why We Teach Real Job Skills, Not Just a Certificate

Azgari Foundation's mission explained: why tuition-free career and job-ready skills training changes the math for young adults leaving foster care.

Mission & Programs

The Marketing Specialist Path: AI Skills, Real Demand

What our tuition-free Marketing Specialist program teaches, what the federal data says about marketing and market-research careers, and where graduates go next.

Mission & Programs

Bookkeeping: The Quiet Career With 144,000 Openings a Year

An honest look at the bookkeeping career path — what automation is changing, why openings stay high anyway, and how our free program prepares youth for the work that remains.

Mission & Programs

IT Help Desk: 48,700 Openings a Year and a Foot in Tech's Door

How the Computer User Support Specialist program works, what BLS projections actually say, and why help desk remains tech's most reliable entry point.

Mission & Programs

Web Development: A Portfolio Career Growing Faster Than Average

What our free Web Developer track teaches, the 2025–35 federal outlook for the occupation, and how a portfolio substitutes for a degree.

Mission & Programs

Administrative Support: 314,000 Openings a Year, in Every Industry

Why administrative skills remain the widest door into professional work, what the federal projections say, and how AI-era office skills change the role.

Mission & Programs

Why Employers Partner With Azgari Foundation

What a hiring partnership with Azgari Foundation looks like: trained candidates at no placement fee, mentorship that continues after the hire, and community impact you can report.

Mission & Programs

What an Empty Entry-Level Seat Actually Costs a Business

Vacancy and turnover quietly tax small businesses. A look at where those costs hide, and how mission-driven hiring pipelines reduce them.

Mission & Programs

Inside the Six Months: How Azgari Foundation Programs Actually Work

A plain walkthrough of the program experience — eligibility, weekly rhythm, mentorship, and what happens after graduation.

Mission & Programs

How to Hire an Azgari Foundation Graduate

The employer playbook: what roles fit, how the introduction works, what it costs (nothing), and what support continues after the hire.

Resources, Plainly

The Chafee ETV Grant: Up to $5,000 a Year Most Foster Youth Never Claim

How the federal Education and Training Voucher works, who qualifies, what it covers beyond tuition, and exactly how to apply.

Resources, Plainly

Former Foster Youth Get Medicaid Until 26 — In Any State, Any Income

The federal rule that gives former foster youth free health coverage to age 26, why enrollment isn't automatic, and how to claim it.

Resources, Plainly

Job Corps: Free Career Training That Comes With Housing and Meals

The federal program that pairs vocational training with a place to live — who qualifies, what it includes, and when it's the right call.

Resources, Plainly

WIOA Youth: Free Job Training and Paid Work Experience in Every State

The workforce program most young people have never heard of — free training, paid work experience, and mentoring for ages 16–24.

Resources, Plainly

FYI Vouchers: The Housing Help Built Specifically for Youth Leaving Care

HUD's Foster Youth to Independence vouchers explained — what they cover, who qualifies, and how to ask for one before you need it.

Resources, Plainly

Free College Tuition for Foster Youth: The State Waivers Explained

Many states waive tuition and fees at public colleges for former foster youth — including Texas. Here's how the waivers work and how to claim one.

Resources, Plainly

FAFSA for Foster Youth: You're 'Independent' — and That Means More Aid

Why foster youth file the FAFSA as independent students, what that unlocks, and the mistakes that cost real money.

Resources, Plainly

Check Your Credit Before You Age Out: Foster Youth and Identity Theft

Why foster youth are frequent identity-theft targets, the free credit check your agency owes you, and how to fix a damaged file before it blocks an apartment.

Resources, Plainly

Extended Foster Care: The Opt-In Most Youth Don't Know They Have

Staying in (or re-entering) care until 21 — what it actually looks like, why it's usually opt-in, and the questions to ask before your 18th birthday.

Resources, Plainly

211 and findhelp.org: The Two Doors to Every Local Resource

When you don't know where to start, start here — how 211 and findhelp.org connect you to food, housing, counseling, and transport in minutes.