For most of us, getting a driver’s license is a rite of passage. You find someone to teach you, borrow a family car to practice in, and maybe get a little help navigating the DMV. For young people leaving foster care, it’s rarely that simple.

In San Diego County, 77.5% of workers drive to work, while just 2.4% rely on public transportation. For young adults without access to a vehicle (or someone to teach them how to drive), that gap can mean fewer choices when it comes to jobs, education, and financial stability.

That’s where Changing Lanes: Driven by Kiwanis Club San Diego comes in. Supported by Kiwanis Club of San Diego’s $50,000 investment, Just in Time for Foster Youth (JIT) provides driving instruction, DMV support, transportation assistance and coaching to help young adults build the skills and confidence they need to drive safely.

“Kiwanis understands the importance of Transportation Equity for transition age foster youth, as it literally opens the door to hundreds of additional employment opportunities that are not currently public-transit centric in the San Diego region,” says Gordon Boerner, Board President of Kiwanis Club of San Diego.

JIT plans to help 150 new drivers hit the road in 2026/27. While securing a license is a critical first step, JIT also helps participants take the next steps of purchasing, insuring, and maintaining a vehicle through a partnership with Drive2Success, a nonprofit established by JIT supporters to help participants acquire mechanically sound, donated cars.

Thanks to Kiwanis Club San Diego’s $50,000 investment, 150 transitioning foster youth will have the keys to opportunity and a clearer path toward personal and professional independence.