Raising awareness about the need to help teenagers in foster care ‘secure’ a forever family through adoption or to help them develop a support system of caring adults who will assist them after their foster care services end is essential to improving their quality of life.
I am honored to have been featured as a foster care expert in an article in The Washington Informer titled “Many Homeless Adults Start their Journey in Foster Care”. You can read the article here.
Below is information about teens in foster care that I was unable to share in the short article but feel you definitely need to know if you seek to understand the link between homelessness and foster care.
- Children and teens in foster care have experienced trauma.
- Every year approximately 20,000 young people “age out” of foster care without a permanent family.
- Teens in foster care are more likely to be placed in institutional settings like group homes instead of living in a foster home with a foster family.
- When youth don’t receive consistent nurturing, training, and supervision they often lack basic life skills that make adulthood less challenging.
- A family centered environment helps prepare teens for reconnection with their biological family when appropriate, adoption into a new family, or preparation for parenthood or creating a safe family of their own.
- Teens in foster care are often unable to engage in extra-curricular activities that enhance social skills and increase self-confidence due to lack of extra income, repeated moving, or delays in completion of necessary paperwork such as background checks.
- Research has shown that over 1/3 of young adults in foster care have experienced 5 or more school transfers. On average, students lose 4-6 six months of academic progress with each school change. On average only 60% of youth aging out of foster care complete high school by age 19.
CALL TO ACTION – You Can Make A Difference – Learn More
Related Blog Posts:
Why Is 21 The Magic Cut Off Age?
Happy Independence Day When You Age Out of Foster Care?
No Boomerang When You Age Out of Foster Care
You Want Me To Adopt A Teen From Foster Care?
I Am Unable To Foster Or Adopt Now What?
Nicki Sanders, MSW, Chief Visionary Officer
The Teen Toolbox utilizes youth portfolio development and civic engagement and academic empowerment strategies to help teens set goals for life after high school and create a road map to reach those goals through its PACKAGED FOR SUCCESS™ Programs. We are committed to supporting and raising awareness about the needs and potential of teenagers in the foster care system.
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