AFS' Marin Independent Living Skills (ILS) Program is designed to help youth in foster placement prepare for their independence. Funded by the federal government, through a contract with the Marin Department of Social Services, the Marin ILS Program accepts foster youth referred by the Marin County Department of Social Services, Probation Department, foster parents and group home staff. Foster youth may also call directly and refer themselves. The program has several different components, allowing individuals to participate in any or all of its parts. The core of the ILS program is individual sessions. An ILP worker meets with interested youth regularly to help them set goals, work on educational issues, assist with financial aid for college, research opportunities, look for work, create resumes, set up savings accounts, and much more. The nature of individual work is decided by the youth’s own goals, desires and needs. Located in the Montecito shopping center within easy walking distance from Marin's transportation hub in central San Rafael, the ILS offers a fully stocked library and computerized Resource Center for foster youth. The Resource Center is a place where teens can work on their desired goals in a group setting, meet with ILS staff, or search for jobs or housing on the internet. It also serves as a place for kids to hang out, do homework or talk to other foster teens facing similar challenges. The ILS program produces several special events each year, including a weekend retreat at Mendocino Woodlands Camp, a ropes course, and youth conferences, which also often include ILS youth from neighboring counties. The ILS also hosts social activities such as camping trips, excursions to the San Francisco zoo, Great America, baseball games, cultural events and youth conferences. In the Spring, the ILS program joins forces with College of Marin, to offer a series of classes concerning major aspects of independent living. Participants gain useful life skills and information. Perhaps best of all, the ILS offers incentive payments to young people for attending and participating. Foster youth and former foster youth may be continue to participate in ILS until the age of 21, generally three years after leaving foster care. Thus the ILS seeks to offer important continuity and support to young people faced with living on their own with little family or outside support to help them through. The laws governing foster care grant other advantages to foster youth who participate in ILS programs. Participating youth are allowed to save greater sums of money without diminishing their placement grant than nonparticipating youth are allowed. Also, many other programs give preferred status to ILS youth, particularly regarding financial aid. To be eligible for the Marin ILS program youth need to be placed into foster care by Marin County, either currently or within the last six months,and be at least 16 years old. Young people placed by both social services department and the probation department are eligible. Also eligible are young people under legal guardianship and adopted youth, if the guardian receives placement funds from Marin County.

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