Payer Invests in Helping Young Adults Find Work After Foster Care

Blue Cross of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) announced a program that focuses on supporting children who are aging out of foster care through employment.

“Our Apprenticeship Program provides opportunities, training and comprehensive support to help young adults transitioning out of foster care navigate challenges and create financial and economic stability that will boost healthy young adult independence,” explained Angela Boykin, vice president of engagement, integration and innovation at Blue Cross NC.

Blue Cross NC’s Apprenticeship Program is designed to connect individuals from the foster care system with employment opportunities. The apprentices work at Blue Cross NC retail centers.

In 2023, two apprentices are working at the Raleigh Retail Center. The payer is taking steps to expand the program, connecting with social services departments and organizations that focus on the young adult foster care population.

The program supports three major areas: social, educational, and financial needs. They can receive mentorship from Blue Cross NC employees.

In addition to employment, apprentices could have the opportunity to achieve higher education at the community college level.

In particular, the press release highlighted Blue Cross NC’s relationship with Wake Technical College’s Fostering Bright Futures program. The organization has also registered its program with ApprenticeshipNC, a program that works with community colleges and employers to facilitate apprenticeship opportunities.

“With each young life impacted through the Apprenticeship Program, Blue Cross NC is strengthening vulnerable families, our communities and our state’s economy. We know that stable employment is a critical driver of health and the foundation for young adults to thrive,” said Boykin.

In North Carolina, young adults age out of the foster care system at 18 years old, the press release indicated. There are over 11,000 children and youth in the North Carolina foster system who face serious mental health and social determinants of health challenges.

National statistics show that individuals who age out of foster care may experience homelessness and incarceration, and are less likely to access support services for academics, mentorship, or education financial assistance. They also might become parents after the transition and find employment.

This is not Blue Cross NC’s first time partnering with organizations to offer career opportunities to young North Carolinians. In October 2022, the payer announced that it would partner with Forsyth Technical Community College and Goodwill Industries to improve workplace diversity in the insurance industry.

Together, the partners created the Forsyth Tech Pre-licensing Insurance program, with Blue Cross NC offering scholarships for students from under-represented communities to participate. Participants enrolled in a six-week long course that would prepare them for the licensing process and offer them access to networking, interview training, and employment support.

Other payers have similarly focused on providing and investing in apprenticeship and employment opportunities to bolster their members’ local economies.

For example, just a day before Blue Cross NC's announcement, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina invested $275,000 in addressing social determinants of health for foster care and kinship care children. And previously UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia invested $95,000 in Step up Savannah’s Chatham Apprenticeship Program to help decrease multigenerational poverty in certain areas of Georgia.

Career support may seem unrelated to health insurance, but economic stability is one of the five social determinants of health domains. Without steady employment, individuals are more likely to live in poverty and less likely to afford healthcare and healthy lifestyles.