Each year in the United States, approximately 23,000 youth age out of the foster care system. This occurs when these children turn 18 or 21 or finish high school, depending upon the state in which they live. When these youth age out of the system, they often have limited resources and a lack of guidance which results in greater difficulty as they pivot into adulthood than a child who comes from a stable home.
“I didn’t receive anything in foster care to help me with anything,” Jessica Green Brown, a 40-year-old licensed social worker with an energy auditor apprenticeship, said, “I was just happy to survive.”
Brown’s passions include writing, philanthropy, and helping others thrive despite adversity. Brown entered the foster care system at age 11, was sent home at 12, and re-entered at 13 where she stayed until she aged out of the system at 18.
In Philadelphia alone, on average, 250 youth age out of the system each year. In order to continue to receive support from the system once a child reaches 18, they can apply for extended foster care until they are 21. A recent study shows that in 2021, there were 903 youth in the system on their 18th birthday. By their 19th birthday, only 196 of those individuals were still receiving support. An article shared in the National Library of Medicine shares that some of the barriers preventing youth from accessing these services include displacement pre- and post-discharge, learned helplessness and a lack of trust.
According to the Juvenile Law Center, to be eligible for a foster care extension in Pennsylvania, the youth must be completing secondary education or an equivalent credential; enrolled in an institution which provides postsecondary or vocational education; participating in a program actively designed to promote or remove barriers to employment; employed for at least 80 hours per month; incapable of doing any of the activities due to a medical or behavioral health condition.
To meet these requirements, the youth must have finished high school, be working a minimum of 20 hours a week or have a disability, which is not the case for many in the foster care system.
In Pennsylvania, independent living services have been made available for eligible older youth. These services include vocational training, tuition aid and housing vouchers, but only 51% of youth received them. Although there are currently more states offering extended foster care than in 2018, enrollment is still low.
Data pulled from papartnerships.org
According to Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, many of those exiting foster care often struggle with homelessness, finding a job, or attending college.
“The state’s custody impacted my education negatively by moving me around so much, I missed most of middle school,” Brown said.
Although Brown went on to graduate high school with honors and was able to find solace in her poetry, this is not the case for all who age out of the system. In a study by the Center for Advanced Studies, evidence shows an achievement gap between youth with child welfare involvement versus youth without.
Over one third of foster children and youth experience more than two placements each year, meaning their living arrangements change at least three times a year. Depending on the state, this figure ranged from 24% to 51%. While Pennsylvania falls in the lower range with 26% of foster children experiencing more than two placements a year, the detriment this causes to their educational, physical, and mental needs are overwhelming.
Outside of issues within the system itself, some foster children face issues directly inside their foster homes.
Sophia Williams is a 36-year-old relationship banker at Old National Bank. She was in foster care from three to six years old. She later re-entered the system as a 14-year-old and eventually aged out at 18.
“I was very overlooked, dismissed, ignored, or accused,” Williams said when describing her experience in her foster home. “I kind of felt like a criminal.”
Williams believes there is more than can be done to ensure the safety of youth within the foster care system.
“I think a helpful way to change the system is to automatically have workshops or meetings set up monthly for foster parents and their children where there is an open dialogue to share concerns and solutions,” she said. “To ensure that the children are being raised in a decent home that meets their needs.”
Children and youth who experience trauma, including abuse or neglect, are at higher risk for long-term emotional, behavioral and physical health problems. Kids Count offers scores of additional measures that describe these types of life challenges for children and youth, ranging from high-risk behavior to difficulties with mental health, physical health, and academic performance. The consequences of child maltreatment can be lessened with access to trauma-informed services, nurturing and consistent family relationships, and continued support.
Despite adversity, one individual has been fighting for a change in Philadelphia’s foster care system. Duane Price is a youth advocate studying to get his master’s in social work with the goal of becoming a lawyer.
“I have some lived experience in the child welfare system,” Price said. “And because of my lived experience, to try to do a better job helping others understand what the youth are going through. Because of that experience and the knowledge that I learned from social work, I can be more open, empathetic, and be better able to connect with the youth to make a huge difference.”
As a youth advocate, Price works alongside others who all have the same mission. To create a comfortable environment for youth in the foster care system to be supported by adults who can fully support them.
“We fight for them to have a voice,” said Price.
Please email any questions or concerns about this story to: [email protected].
Be the first to comment