What Happens to Children that Age Out of Foster Care?

Aisha Nyandoro challenges us all to imagine being 18 years old, graduating from high school, and not having anyone to help you apply to college, find a job, or look for a place to live.  This is what can happen to the more than 28,000 children that age out of the United States foster care system each year.  

How does this happen?  When a child enters the foster care system, an effort is made to place them with a foster family.  If a foster family cannot be found, the child may be placed in institutions or group homes.  Here they remain until a foster placement occurs, or they reach adulthood. 

Regardless of placement status, most states remove children from the foster care system when they reach the age of 18.  The big difference is that those that were never placed don’t have a family support system to help them make the transition;  no one to call, no one to come to their aid, no one to turn for advice, no family to return to over the holidays.  Consequently, foster children who age out of the system face many problems and challenges.  Below are just a few statistics provided by the National Foster Youth Institute:   

•          20% of the children who were in foster care become instantly homeless.
•          Less than 3% of children who age out of foster care earn a college degree at any point in their life.
•          7 out of 10 girls who age out of the foster care become pregnant before the age of 21.
•          25% of children who age out of foster care still suffer from the direct effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
•          60% of young men who age out of foster care end up being convicted of a crime.  

There is always hope, and each one of us can make a positive difference in the life of an older child or young adult aging out of the foster care system.  Dr. John DeGarmo

outlines some practical things that could be done to help: 

•          Consider becoming a certified foster care parent, and be willing to take in older children.   That way when youth in foster care reach the age of 18 they are already part of a family and support system.   
•          If you can’t be a foster parent then be a mentor to older children and young adults by teaching them important life skills such as money management, communication skills, how to enroll in college, the importance of good health and hygiene, and how to cook meals and keep their living space clean.    
•          Consider tutoring. 
•          Help young adults find a career path, and get enrolled in a program to obtain those skills.
•          Donate household goods, furniture, and clothing to a local foster care agency.
•          Be willing to transport youth who have aged out of foster care by driving them to job interviews, doctor appointments, etc.
•          Teach a young adult how to drive.
•          If you own a business, consider hiring former foster youth, and train them with skills.
•          Be a friend, be willing to listen and be willing to help.

Every youth and young adult matters and needs the comfort and security of a safety net, and someone to rely on as they enter the world of adulthood.  We all have something that we can do to make a positive difference in the life of a young person.