The results of a poll conducted by the consulting firm Twentysomething, Inc. states that roughly 85% of recent college graduates planned to return to their parent’s home. “Boomerang kids” as they are now known are adults who left home for education or work and due their inability to find well-paying jobs have had to return to their safety nest. According to a Pew Research Center report released in March, as many as 3 in 10 young adults have become “boomerang kids”. The unemployment rates for adults under age 25 are as high as 54%. Nearly 53 percent of 18- to 24-year olds have never moved out or returned home.
Teenagers ages 16-19 face tough job competition from adults. For nearly two years, the national average unemployment rate for teens has remained above 20 percent – a postwar record. According to data from the Labor Department, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for teenagers 16 to 19 years old was 24.9 percent in April. That is a substantial increase from the 12 to 14 percent rate in 2000.
Why am I writing about “boomerang kids” and teen unemployment rates you ask? Because these statistics further validate the need to continue to raise awareness about the needs of foster youth in transition. If the average college graduate is unable to be self-sufficient by age 22, why do we expect young people who have experienced disruptions in education, housing, emotional stability, and basic life skills acquisition to make it on their own? It is unacceptable that young people in foster care are cut off from support and opportunity at age 18 or 21 when the average young adult still lives at home into their mid twenties. Nearly 20,000 youth age out of foster care in the United States each year without permanent connections and adequate preparation for life on their own. They are without a home or family to boomerang back into. I will say it again and again – Teens aging out of foster care can live successful, independent lives if we all get involved. There is a lot more to be done to ensure these brilliant young people have a smoother transition into adulthood.
Nicki Sanders, MSW, Chief Visionary Officer
The Teen Toolbox provides youth portfolio development and civic engagement and academic enrichment opportunities 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.