More Autonomy.
More Agency.
More Opportunity.

Experiencing foster care has a tremendous impact on a young person’s ability to imagine a secure future. On average, those spending their teens in foster care will be forced to move eight times. Eight times.

It's hard enough to deal with the present, let alone to plan for a future. And with little-to-no money of their own, budgeting or saving is an even more abstract concept.

In January 2026, we will introduce LAUNCH PAD, a unique wealth-building tool designed to provide youth transitioning out of foster care with an opportunity to take greater control of their finances and their future.

IT STARTS WITH SUBSIDIES

To make room for that experience, youth begin residency at PERIS Hill heavily subsidized - paying around 15% of area rents. To give them the ability to choose other housing and build autonomy, it is important to gradually reduce subsidies and bring accommodation costs closer to the 30% area affordable rental standard.

BALANCING SUPPORT AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Recognizing that even incremental, expected changes in the cost of living can affect residents’ financial stability, the PERIS Foundation developed Launch Pad - an innovative savings program designed to reward increased financial responsibility with increased financial stability. 

Key principles of Launch Pad: 

• Savings Match: Increases in the cost of accommodation necessary to bring resident responsibilities closer to the 30% AMI standard are offset by deposits of funds by PERIS of equal value into resident-specific, high-yield savings accounts.

• Term, Access & Transparency: The program is designed to run in parallel with residents’ lease terms. Therefore, the minimum term is one year. The maximum term is three. Launch Pad accounts are administered by Riverland Bank. At the conclusion of the program term, residents can choose to withdraw, maintain, or add to the funds at their discretion.

• Education: To support further autonomy and agency, participants receive financial literacy training on savings and investing throughout the program term.

• Opportunity & Growth: Residents can opt into additional increases in the costs of accommodation to grow savings faster. They can even opt in to paying up to the 30% AMI standard earlier in the Prorgam, amplifying their savings and interest earning potential. Projections show that most residents will save between $4,000 and $5,000 over the course of the three-year Launch Pad program term. 

The goal of Launch Pad is not to simply offset cost increases but to build greater freedom, responsibility, and autonomy in residents - which (along with their Launch Pad savings) will serve them well as they contemplate a future away from PERIS Hill.

Subsidies go down.
Costs go up.
Deposits offset changes.
Savings grow.
Interest is earned.