Download or read book On Their Own written by Martha Shirk and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2006-08-08 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each year, as many as 25,000 teenagers "age out" of foster care, usually when they turn eighteen. For years, a government agency had made every important decision for them. Suddenly, they are on their own, with no one to count on. What does it mean to be eighteen and on your own, without the family support and personal connections that most young people rely on? For many youth raised in foster care, it means largely unhappy endings, including sudden homelessness, unemployment, dead-end jobs, loneliness, and despair. On Their Own tells the compelling stories of ten young people whose lives are full of promise, but who face economic and social barriers stemming from the disruptions of foster care. This book calls for action to provide youth in foster care the same opportunities on the road to adulthood that most of our youth take for granted-access to higher education, vocational training, medical care, housing, and relationships within their communities. On Their Own is meant to serve as a clarion call not only to policymakers, but to all Americans who care about the futures of our young people.
Download or read book From Foster Care to Adulthood written by Emily Buss and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Young people who grow up in foster care face daunting odds when they "age out" of that system as adults. Many of them find themselves without a job and without a home. Before long, many are incarcerated, and others become parents before they are ready. Staying in school is fraught with obstacles, from unaffordable tuition, to episodic housing, to a lack of academic and emotional supports. Whatever their obstacles and opportunities, foster youth are far more likely than other young people to face those obstacles and opportunities alone...The University of Chicago Law School's Foster Care Project is dedicated to assisting advocates throughout the country to improve the experience of foster youth who are aging out of care...we have focused our attention on the law, asking: What changes in the law would benefit these youth? How can current law be best employed for their benefit? What can courts and lawyers do to assist youth to make a successful transition?...[Our] conclusion is that the legal process governing foster youths' transition should ensure that foster youths' lives mimic, as closely as possible, the experience of youth growing up in their own families. More specifically, we conclude that the court process can play a crucial role in replicating some important aspects of that experience."--p. [1].
Download or read book Life after Foster Care written by Loring Paul Jones and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2018-08-17 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book apprises readers of the present conditions of former and emancipated foster youth, provides evidence-based best practices regarding their experiences, and proposes new policies for ensuring better outcomes for these children upon discharge from foster care. For most American youth, the transition to adulthood is gradual and aided by support from parents and others. In contrast, foster youth are expected to arrive at self-sufficiency abruptly and without the same level of support. Such an expectation may be due in part to what Loring Paul Jones has found in his research: that many of the studies conducted thus far have been fragmented and incomplete, often focusing on a particular state or agency that may follow policies not applicable nationwide. This book connects the dots between these disparate studies to provide child welfare practitioners, policy makers, and students with a broader picture of the state of American youth following discharge from foster care. It examines not only child welfare policies but also related policies in areas such as housing and education that may contribute to the success or failure of foster youth in society. It additionally draws lessons from successful programs to provide readers with the tools needed to develop foster and after-care systems that more closely mirror the support afforded to youth in the general population.
Download or read book Uncertain Futures written by Edmund V. Mech and published by C W L A Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discusses the plight of youth who have aged out of the system. It provides meaningful, practical solutions for teaching youth to support themselves before they are forced out of care, and details programs that assist youth in becoming self-supporting once they do leave the foster care system.
Download or read book From Foster Care To Adulthood written by Federico Laditka and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-25 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Foster youth face high risks and poor outcomes after aging out of care resulting in great economic and human costs to society. But not this girl. Written from the perspective of a child who endured various early trauma, the author shares a story about her's journey through the New York City foster care system.
Download or read book Youth Transitioning from Foster Care written by Lindsey R. Asher and published by Nova Publishers. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While most young people have access to emotional and financial support systems throughout their early adult years, older youth in foster care and those who are emancipated from care often face obstacles to developing independent living skills and building supports that ease the transition to adulthood. Older foster youth who return to their parents or guardians may continue to experience poor family dynamics or a lack of emotional and financial supports, and studies have shown that recently emancipated foster youth fare poorly relative to their counterparts in the general population on several outcome measures. The federal government recognises that older youth in foster care and those aging out are vulnerable to negative outcomes and may ultimately return to the care of the state as adults, either through the public welfare, criminal justice, or other systems. This book provides background on young people in and exiting from foster care, and the federal support that is available to these youth as they transition to adulthood.
Download or read book Youth Transitioning from Foster Care written by Adrienne L. Fernandes and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nearly half of states have laws that explicitly permit the state child welfare system to continue providing foster care for children beyond the age of majority (usually no later than 19). However, the number of states that actually facilitate youth remaining in care beyond their 18th or 19th birthdays is significantly smaller. Over 20,000 young people have been emancipated from foster care annually from FY2002 through FY2006. While most young people have access to emotional and financial support systems throughout their early adult years, older youth in care and those who age out of care often face obstacles to developing independent living skills and building supports that ease the transition to adulthood. Older foster youth who return to their parents or guardians may continue to experience poor family dynamics or a lack of emotional and financial supports, and studies have shown that recently emancipated foster youth fare poorly relative to their counterparts in the general population on several outcome measures. Recognising the difficulties faced by older youth in care and youth emancipating from foster care, Congress created a new Independent Living initiative (P.L. 99-272)in 1986 to assist certain older foster youth as they enter adulthood. The legislation authorised mandatory funding to states under a new Section 477 of the Social Security Act. In 1999, the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Act (P.L. 106-169) replaced the Independent Living Program with the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP) and doubled the total annual funds available to states from $70 million to $140 million. The law also expanded the population of youth eligible to receive independent living services - with no lower age limit - and gave states greater flexibility in designing independent living programs. Independent living services can refer to assistance in obtaining a high school diploma, training in daily living skills, and training in financial management, among other services. Amendments to the CFCIP in FY2002 (P.L. 107-133) authorised discretionary funding for states to provide education and training vouchers to eligible youth. Along with the CFCIP, federal child welfare law and other federal programs are intended to help older current youth in care and foster care alumni make the transition to adulthood. The federal foster care program has protections in place to ensure that older youth in care have a written case plan that addresses the programs and services that will assist in this transition, among other supports. Further, federal law authorises funding for states to provide workforce assistance and housing to older foster youth. Despite these efforts and the resilience displayed by current and former foster youth, policymakers and child welfare practitioners have suggested that at a minimum, young people need better support to build stronger connections with caring adults before leaving foster care and should have the option to remain in care upon reaching their 18th or 19th birthdays.
Download or read book Improving Transitions to Adulthood for Youth Served by the Foster Care System written by Robin Nixon and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The transition from foster care to adult independence brings many unexpected challenges. This document reports on the experiences of young adults as they leave the foster care system. It identifies community-based organizations (CBOs) that provide support and services to these adults, and relates opinions of both in order to identify what is needed to strengthen the service system and to build the capacity of CBOs working with former foster youth. The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) surveyed organizations that provide services to young and older adults after they have left foster care. The results were used to create a service directory for former foster youth, social workers, and other CBOs in need of resources for assisting former foster youth, in addition to building a foundation of information about local community support for foster youth. This report includes recommendations for building capacity at the local levels and for strengthening the overall service system to facilitate successful long term outcomes for foster youth. (JDM)
Download or read book On Your Own without a Net written by D. Wayne Osgood and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2008-09-15 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the decade after high school, young people continue to rely on their families in many ways-sometimes for financial support, sometimes for help with childcare, and sometimes for continued shelter. But what about those young people who confront special difficulties during this period, many of whom can count on little help from their families? On Your Own Without a Net documents the special challenges facing seven vulnerable populations during the transition to adulthood: former foster care youth, youth formerly involved in the juvenile justice system, youth in the criminal justice system, runaway and homeless youth, former special education students, young people in the mental health system, and youth with physical disabilities. During adolescence, government programs have been a major part of their lives, yet eligibility for most programs typically ends between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. This critical volume shows the unfortunate repercussions of this termination of support and points out the issues that must be addressed to improve these young people's chances of becoming successful adults.
Download or read book From Foster to Fabulous written by Helen Ramaglia and published by Inspiring Voices. This book was released on 2012-08-30 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a former foster child, I know how it feels to be alone, to feel lost, to feel hopeless, and to feel helpless. I also know you can make a difference in the life of a foster child. Ive been there. While my story is not unique, I want to share it in order to help the caring people of America walk in the shoes of a child who experiences physical, mental, and emotional abuse; is removed from everything she knows; is provided a roof over her head by the State and strangers; and then is thrust into adulthood totally unprepared but later succeeds. I want them to see, touch, and feel what the abused/foster child suffers and why they are who they are. I want them to see the major gaps in the childs life skills and social abilities and why they exist. We must walk in the childs shoes in order to understand them. Only then will we be able to truly fill the enormous amount of needs they have and feel confident in adopting, fostering, and working with foster children. We must fully understand the heart and life of a foster child before we can effectively foster, adopt, or work with this vulnerable population of extraordinary children. I invite you to walk with me, and learn how it truly feels to grow up as nobodys child. A little girl destined to failure, confined by abuse, and traumatized by foster care is inspired by faith to succeed.
Download or read book Some Type of Way written by Lisa Schelbe and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2023 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "At age 17, Plato disclosed that he had been certain his whole life that he would die-most likely by being shot on the street like other Black young men he knew-by the age of 18. As his 18th birthday approached, Plato planned to spend his birthday alone, reflecting on the reality that he might have a future. As he approached adulthood and the transition out of foster care, the many possibilities seemed miraculous to him"--
Download or read book Fostered Adult Children Together On The Bridge To Healing Will we ever get over it written by Carol Lucas and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2013-07-09 with total page 541 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Carol Lucas is proud to present this unique book to people with very unique issues – former foster children. It is her desire that hope for them will be found in the pages of this book. FACT (Fostered Adult Children Together) is a support group for former foster children. It is based on Ten Stepping Stones and the Bridge to Healing. Will we ever get over it? That question is what this book is all about. The stories that the author and other former foster children shared in this book should help answer that question, for themselves and other former, current, and future fostering children. Although there are only sixty-one stories in this book, there could be millions. Those stories as a voice to the unheard millions. The purpose of the foster care system is to provide a safe haven for children without one, helping them to cross the bridge from foster care to aging out, but sadly the bridge leads to nowhere. Many former foster children end up homeless, dumpster diving for food, on drugs, incarcerated, at worst in body bags, at best, living on the fringes of life.
Download or read book Foster Youth Transitions to Adulthood written by Mark E. Courtney and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Lived Experience of Transitioning from the Foster Care System to Adulthood written by Carla Renee Parker and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Approximately 408,000 children were in foster care in the United States at the end of fiscal year 2010 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). Some children return to their families of origin; however, some children remain in the foster care system until they reach age 18 or 21 and must leave, which is called “emancipation” or “aging out” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). Transitioning foster youth are at risk for many negative consequences including poverty and homelessness. These negative consequences are associated with significant health implications, such as mental health problems and risky sexual behaviors. The transitioning youth face an increased risk of these negative consequences and health implications as compared to their peers in the general population (Ahrens et al. 2010; Courtney et al., 2007, 2010, 2005; Pecora et al., 2005). The purpose of this study is to examine the lived experience of transitioning from the foster care system to adulthood. The study was guided by Merleau-Ponty’s philosophical stance and the research guidelines by Thomas and Pollio (2002). Participants were recruited from a transitional living program in a large, southern city by distributing flyer information and attending a peer-to-peer meeting. The sample included nine African American participants ranging from 18 to 23 years of age. An unstructured format was used asking participants to share their experience of transitioning from the foster care system to adulthood. Data analysis included an initial reading for meaning units, reading each interview for an overall sense of the experience, clustering meaning units into themes, and the development of a thematic structure. The thematic structure of the phenomenon of transitioning from the foster care system to adulthood included three themes: (a) I am nothing; (b) I am something; and (c) “make it back to shore.” Recommendations for the foster care system, nurses, and policy makers are included.
Download or read book Youth Transitioning from Foster Care written by Congressional Research Service and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-10-08 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While most young people have access to emotional and financial support systems throughout their early adult years, older youth in foster care and those who are emancipated from care often face obstacles to developing independent living skills and building supports that ease the transition to adulthood. Older foster youth who return to their parents or guardians may continue to experience poor family dynamics or a lack of emotional and financial supports, and studies have shown that recently emancipated foster youth fare poorly relative to their counterparts in the general population on several outcome measures. The federal government recognizes that older youth in foster care and those aging out are vulnerable to negative outcomes and may ultimately return to the care of the state as adults, either through the public welfare, criminal justice, or other systems. Under the federal foster care program, states may seek reimbursement for youth to remain in care up to the age of 21. In addition, the federal foster care program has certain protections for older youth. For example, states must annually obtain the credit report of each child in care who is age 16 or older (age 14 and older as of late 2015). States must also assist youth with developing what is known as a transition plan. The law requires that a youth's caseworker, and as appropriate, other representative(s) of the youth, assist and support him or her in developing the plan. The plan is to be directed by the youth, and is to include specific options on housing, health insurance, education, local opportunities for mentors, workforce supports, and employment services. Other protections will go into effect in late 2015 that will require states to ensure that youth age 14 and older are consulted about the development and revisions to their case plan and permanency plan, and that the case plan includes a document listing certain rights for these youth. Separately, the federal government provides funding for services to assist in the transition to adulthood through the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP). The law enables states to provide these services to youth who are likely to age out of foster care (with no lower age limit), and youth age 16 or older who left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption. Independent living services may include assistance in obtaining a high school diploma, career exploration, training in daily living skills, training in budgeting and financial management skills, and preventive health activities, among other services. The CFCIP requires that states ensure youth in independent living programs participate directly in designing their own program activities that prepare them for independent living, and further that they “accept personal responsibility for living up to their part of the program.” The Chafee Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program separately authorizes discretionary funding for education and training vouchers for eligible youth to cover their cost of postsecondary education (until age 23). A recent evaluation of independent living programs, such as those that provide mentoring and life skills, shows mixed results. One promising independent living program has social workers who oversee a small caseload and have regular, ongoing interactions with the youth. The youth in this program are more likely to attend college and stay enrolled than their peers not in the program. Along with the CFCIP, other federal programs are intended to help current and former youth in foster care make the transition to adulthood. Federal law authorizes funding for states and local jurisdictions to provide workforce support and housing to older foster youth and youth emancipating from care. Further, the law that established the CFCIP created an optional Medicaid eligibility pathway for youth who age out of foster care; this pathway is often called the “Chafee option.
Download or read book AB12 written by Evie Christensen and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to the Children's Law Center of California (2015), there are over 33,000 children in foster care in Los Angeles County. Foster youth that left foster care at age 18 encountered barriers, which put them at higher risk for homelessness and lower academic achievement, which contributes to the poor outcomes of this population (Jones, 2019). To help improve outcomes of these foster youth, the State of California signed into law Assembly Bill 12 (AB12), Fostering Connections to Success Act (AB12; 2010). The Fostering Connections to Success Act allows current and former foster youth to extend foster care services voluntarily and remain in foster care until the age of twenty-one years, as non-minor dependents (NMD). The focus of Extended Foster Care is to increase favorable outcomes for NMDs by preparing them for their transition into self-sufficient adults. This policy analysis explores whether the Extended Foster Care provisions included in AB12 have achieved the intended goals of supporting transitional age foster youth, utilizing the Jimenez Theory Framework (Jimenez, Chambers, Pasztor, & Fujii, 2015).
Download or read book Improving Transitions to Adulthood for Youth Served by the Foster Care System written by Robin Nixon and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
