It is a disservice to provide partial service!

As a previous Investigative Social Worker for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, I witnessed these things from the inside. As a youth counselor at Maryhurst, a residential facility for troubled teenage girls, I saw what goes on within the system from a personal side of the girls in the custody of the Cabinet.

Statistics

• Did you know that roughly 26,000 youth age out of state foster care in the U.S. every year (Sakai, Mackie, Shetgiri, Franzen, Partap, Flores, & Leslie, 2014, p.565)? 
• In 2005, it was found that only 24 % of 19 year olds currently or previously in foster care were pursuing a college degree, which can be compared to the 57 % of 19 year olds never in the foster care system (Day, Riebschleger, Dworsky, Damashek, & Fogarty, 2012).
• Valerie Spears wrote that Jerry Cantrell, CEO of Bellewood Homes for Children, said that “without any support, 75 percent of them fail” (2011).
• Ginny Ramsey, co-director of a homeless program in Lexington, KY, reported that “she comes in contact each month with three or four former foster children who have left the system within the past six months” (Spears, 2011).
• Curry and Abrams reported that 20 to 30 percent of youth of foster care experience homelessness in years after being emancipated (2014).
• According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (2009), homeless youth often pick up bad habits to survive and/or cope, such as violence, drug involvement, or prostitution, which all could lead to incarceration or death (Curry& Abrams, 2014).

True stories

• In research conducted by Day, Riebschleger, Dworsky, Damashek, and Fogarty (2012), one individual who was formally in the foster 

     care system wrote…

 “I came to college alone. I came here, close to dropping out my freshman year because I didn't have any support. Now there are wonderful people [at MSU] who have come into my life. I can't really say there was a lot of structure within the foster care system that helped me to get to that point where I am today. I don't see enough programs that are specifically directed at foster youth so that they can go to college or so they can find a good job.” 

• An employed, single mother of an 11-month old baby requested to extend her commitment and was denied of her request, and eventually she and her baby were evicted from their apartment because she could not make ends meet (Spears, 2011).

• According to Valarie Spears, one teen previously in foster care, reported that he was only given a week to decide on his extension to commitment and when he was unable to decide, group foster home staff gave him a bus ticket to Louisville, which led to him being homeless for about two years (Spears, 2011).
• Please check out more stories at http://www.kentucky.com/2011/11/06/1949070_older-teens-left-behind-by-kentuckys.html?rh=1

The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999:

According to http://www.nicwa.org/law/fcia/PL106-169_summary.pdf...

• "States have flexible funding to provide those children who are identified as likely to remain in foster care until age 18 with a plan and services to: (a) receive the education, training and services necessary to obtain employment; (b) prepare for post-secondary education; and (c) to be mentored."
• "States must use a portion of these funds for older youths who have left foster care but who have not reached age 21. States also may use up to 30% of their Independent Living Program funds for room and board for these youths ages 18 to 21 who have left foster care. States are given the option of extending Medicaid to youths 18 to 21 who have left foster care."
• "The asset limit under which youths in foster care remain eligible for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and thereby maintain eligibility for Title IV-E Foster Care Assistance increases from $1,000 to $10,000."
• "States must attempt to coordinate their IL programs with other state and federally funded programs for youth (especially JJDPA transitional living funds) and with abstinence education programs, local housing programs, programs for disabled youth (especially sheltered youth workshops), and school-to-work programs offered through high schools or local workforce agencies."
• "Adolescents participating in IL programs shall directly participate in the design of their own program activities."

Better Quality, Better Outcomes

These children that are close to aging out of foster care have been dependent on the system to the point that they often do not possess the skills and resources to be able to be successful in the real world. The system did not teach them to be independent. There are a variety of limitations that they experience within daily living, including likelihood of having mental health issues (Sakai, Mackie, Shetgiri, Franzen, Partap, Flores, & Leslie, 2014, p.565), lack of education, poor independent living skills, lack of job experience, lack of job preparedness (Keller, Cusick, & Courtney, 2007), and having little support. These teens are also at an increased risk of experiencing poor outcomes during their transition into adulthood, which can continue into the rest of their lives. Studies suggest many of those who age out lack education, independent living skills and job preparedness, as well as having high percentages that experience homelessness, victimization, incarceration and non-marital parenthood (Keller, Cusick & Courtney, 2007).   As the state foster care system is responsible for these teens during commitment, they are also responsible for the success of these children after commitment. The state is supposed to provide services and resources to these children that help prepare them for independence. However, while some efforts are made, many of these efforts must be taken to the next level.

These teens are far too often not prepared for independence and are not informed about the options that are available to them. Some are not able to apply to college because they did not obtain a high school degree or G.E.D. Others were not informed of how to apply to college. These young adults often are not aware of the funds they can receive for post-secondary school, which leads to the misconception that they cannot afford it. Children in foster care can extended their commitment after turning 21, which would provide tuition assistance. There are even states that have tuition waiver programs for youth in foster care, allowing free or significantly reduced tuition (Day, Riebschleger, Dworsky, Damashek, & Fogarty, 2012, p. 1008).  Also, there are often special scholarships and grants that these teens are eligible for. However, many of these teens are unaware of these opportunities. Those that graduate from college have prospects of significantly higher income, compared to those with only a high school diploma, which has affects on their living situations and conditions (Day, Riebschleger, Dworsky, Damashek, & Fogarty, 2012, p. 1008). Teens in foster care are often unprepared for college level work and have little knowledge about how to apply to college and for financial aid. There is a lack of job experience and skills that can be used to obtain a job. Youth often experience little engagement in mental health decisions while in foster care. Those that were aging out, reported that they are limited in self-efficacy in their own mental health due to insufficient preparation while in foster care (Sakai, Mackie, Shetgiri, Franzen, Partap, Flores, and Leslie, 2014). Youth in foster care are not connected with social or community supports and resources that they can utilize for independence.

All of these factors leave teens that are aging out of foster care to feel isolated and have little resources to help them succeed. The lack of preparation for independent living can set them up for failure. According to Maughan and Champion, “From a developmental perspective, these early, off-time transitions, for which youth are not well prepared, have the potential to compound environmental adversity, threaten coping capacity, tax social supports, and compel individuals to enter into situations that may constrain their long-term prospects” (Keller, Cusick, & Courtney, 2007). Due to it being common for these teens to have low levels of education (Keller, Cusick, & Courtney, 2007), they are more likely to be unemployed. They are also more likely to be unemployed because they have limited opportunities to learn trade skills, have job experience, learn how to build a strong resume, and obtain good interviewing skills. Higher unemployment and low-income jobs attributes to living in low-income areas or even being homeless. And this cycle could be broken if these teens had more access to resources and support.

Extended Commitment to Care

There should be more youth that are eligible to extend their commitment. Many teens choose not to (whether this is because of their opinion or being uninformed) or are denied the opportunity to extend their commitment to the foster care system, which could be continued until they reach the age of 21. The services provided to teens in foster care are not properly preparing them for being successful in life, which must change. The option for youth in foster care to extend their commitment is like an opportunity for them to have a grace period, if you will, where they are able to receive financial assistance and services while they adjust to living in total independence. This can be compared to a young adult, who has never been in foster care, leaning back on their parents for financial support after they have moved out of the family home. This social and financial support increases the chance for a successful transition into adulthood. While extended commitment could significantly increase the success of these young adults, they are so limited in the requirements and restrictions of their commitment extension that they are unable to succeed.

Some of the most common requirements of the individuals who extend their commitment are residence having to be approved, compliance with case plan, being enrolled in school, maintaining employment, and signing a voluntary placement agreement (Dworsky, A., & Havlicek, 2008, p. 6). While these requirements are given to hold these young adults accountable and help them succeed, sometimes these requirements restrict them so much that they are set up to fail. For example, Donna Epperson reported that some of the teens over 18, who have extended their commitment, are prohibited from getting their driver’s license (Spears, 2011). The individual is required to maintain employment and/or enrollment in college courses, but their transportation is limited by this restriction. While in a large city, such as Louisville, public transportation can solve this issue. However, there are many young adults that will reside in rural areas, where public transportation is not an option. How should they be expected to maintain certain requirements, when other regulations restrict them from accomplishing these very things? Another example is given by Cantrell [CEO of Bellewood Homes for Children], "workers in some parts of the state didn't think going to cosmetology school was enough ... while workers in another part of the state thought that was fine" (Spears, 2011). Cosmetology is a trade school and ,either way you look at it, will help someone towards living successfully. These rigorous requirements cannot always be achieved without any flaws. Teens who have extended their commitment can actually have their extension terminated if the requirements are not maintained. Are these requirements actually realistic? How often do people, even when they were not part of foster care, make mistakes or have set backs when they are first transitioning into living on their own?

Next Steps...

1) Implement individualized plans for pre-independent living. This should focus on the skills that the specific child needs to improve on. This also must include what the child feels they need to be successful. Important professionals involved with the child should also have a say in what the child needs to learn so that it can be applied realistically once independence is reached.

2) There should be more children extending their commitment to the state's care after they turn 18 years old. A child should never have the request to extend their commitment rejected if they are meeting the requirements to do so.

3) Pre-independent living programs should be improved. Independent living skills need to be taught more in depth, so that children can apply these once independent. Independent living skills critical for success that children are not properly prepared for include how to obtain and maintain housing, how to apply to college, how to receive grants and loans to pay for secondary education, driving skills, interview skills, how to create a resume, how to access health care, how to properly maintain their own mental health, and how to realistically manage finances.

4) Youth should be introduced to community resources that they can later access for assistance and support once independence is reached. This includes, but is not limited to, things such as support groups, health insurance companies, mental health agencies, free clinics, agencies that assist people in finding jobs, food banks, homeless shelters, etc. Some examples of local agencies like these in Louisville are A Loving Choice, Center for Women and Families, Operation Care, Wayside Christian Mission, Salvation Army, and Hotel Louisville.

 

Closing Statements

The foster care system was designed to help children who have experienced loss and/or abuse. When a child enters foster care, they become the state’s responsibility. The state must also keep in mind that they are responsible for the success of these young adults, even after they age out of the system. The state governments are provided with funds to specifically provide preparation for independence, as well as requiring states to use some of their Chafee funds to provide services and supports to these teens once they age out. However, the reality is that the youth in foster care rarely are prepared properly for independent living. While some states provide the opportunity for some independent living skills to be learned, even then the youth are not being taught skills that are applicable to being on their own in the real world. These young adults are supposed to also receive the opportunity of extending their commitment, which ideally helps them to succeed. In reality, many of these teens are denied this opportunity for various reasons, and even when granted, they often cannot maintain all of the requirements of the extension. These young adults are isolated from social supports and community resources and are not properly being prepared for the real world, which often results in failure to succeed. Without the resources to achieve a goal, a goal is just a dream.

 

 

Resources:

Day, A., Riebschleger, J., Dworsky, A., Damashek, A., & Fogarty, K. (2012). Maximizing educational opportunities for youth aging out of foster care by engaging youth voices in a partnership for social change. Children and Youth Services Review, 1007-1014.

Curry, S., & Abrams, L. (2014). Housing and Social Support for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: State of the Research Literature and Directions for Future Inquiry. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal Child Adolesc Soc Work J, 143-153.

Keller, T., Cusick, G., & Courtney, M. (2007, September 1). Approaching the Transition to Adulthood: Distinctive Profiles of Adolescents Aging out of the Child Welfare System. Retrieved October 16, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2802332/

Sakai, C., Mackie, T. I., Shetgiri, R., Franzen, S., Partap, A., Flores, G., & Leslie, L. K. (2014). Mental Health Beliefs and Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services in Youth Aging out of Foster Care. Academic Pediatrics, p. 565-573.

Spears, V. (2011, November 6). Older teens left behind by Kentucky's foster-care program. Retrieved October 16, 2015, from http://www.kentucky.com/2011/11/06/1949070_older-teens-left-behind-by-kentuckys.html?rh=1