Aging Out of the Foster Care System - 1281 Words

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, every year close to 25,000 youth age out of the foster care system and are faced with cold hard realities of adulthood. This does not include the youth who leave the system, which is estimated to be another 30,000. Most adolescents anticipate their eighteenth birthday, as it brings on a new found sense of independence and most importantly a time of celebration. However when foster children reach eighteen, they begin facing the challenges of transitioning to adulthood. These children disproportionately join the ranks of the homeless, incarcerated, and unemployed. These youth are unprepared for the independent life they are forced to take on. The average age that young adults who have never experienced foster care leave their family home for good is 24, and 40% return home again at least once afterwards (Margolin, 2008). With these facts being stated, we yet expect youth who has dealt with rejection after rejection to leave â€Å"home† of the state custody permanently and fin for themselves. These youth sometimes have fewer than $250 in cash, only one-third have drivers licenses, and fewer than one-quarter have the basic tools to set up a household, let alone the skills to know what to do with the tools (Krinsky, 2010). Youth exit care with no more than a garbage bag of their belongings, finding themselves alone at the age of eighteen, with little reason to celebrate what is supposed to be an exciting milestoneShow MoreRelatedChildren Aging Out Of The Foster Care System1615 Words   |  7 Pagesand left to survive in foster care for an undefined period of time. Think about lingering within the system for years and suddenly loosing any kind of aid at the age of eighteen. This is a reality for thousands of children in America’s foster care system. There are kids that are searching for a home and family -- and many of them never get one. These youths are all hoping and wishing for a permanent place to go back to. The number of children aging out of the foster care system annually is a seriousRead MoreEssay about Youth in Foster Care Populations At Risk1040 Words   |  5 Pageschosen was the youth aging-out of foster care. By calling it age-out I’m referring to it as occurring both before and after leaving foster care. Nationally, there are 20,000 youth in foster care who are at the aging out of foster care. Generally, these children has been abused or neglected. There are those who feel as if foster care can have some type of impact on this particular lifestyle for these youth adults aging out of this care. Some feel that there may be some foster care homes that may possiblyRead MoreChild Maltreatment And The Child Welfare System Essay1558 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract Foster care is defined as an out of home placement outside of the biological family. Individuals are placed in foster care due to some form of child maltreatment, rather it be sexual abuse, neglect, and/or physical abuse. Adolescents who age out of the foster care system are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one years old who are still in the child welfare system and have not been adopted. Aging out of the foster care systems means that adolescents currently in the child welfareRead MoreEffects Of Being A Foster Child1155 Words   |  5 PagesEffects of Being a Foster Child 1 Effects of Being a Foster Child Ashleigh Martinez Arapahoe Community College â€Æ' Effects of Being a Foster Child 2 Abstract Foster care is designed to be a temporary living situation until a permanent home is available. Although there are positives of foster care, there can be negatives as well. It is important to be cognizant of both in order to prevent the potential harmful outcomes of foster care, and to make it a more beneficial experienceRead MoreFoster Care Act Essay812 Words   |  4 PagesHealth Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act (S.1797). This federal level proposed law is intended to secure access to health care for youth who have aged out of foster care and did not have health coverage. The law requires the state to ensure insurance continuity for foster youth who move to one of the 37 states that do not now permit Medicaid benefits to travel to that state and remove the eligibility restriction tied to residency in Medicaid coverage to youth who age out in another state. BeforeRead MoreLGBT Adoption Essay1559 Words   |  7 PagesLGBT Adoption â€Å" There are approximately 100,000 children and/ or adolescents who are in the Child Welfare System waiting to be put into foster care or be adopted† (Kreisher). The number of children living with 1 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender (LGBT) parent today ranges from six to fourteen million children or adolescents. Adoption is to take into one’s family legally and raise as one’s own child. Although adoption is first spoken of in the Bible, the first recorded adoption takes placeRead MoreThe Aspects Of Teens And The Aging Out Process Essay926 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction This literature review will cover the aspects of teens and the aging out process. When children in the system are provided with care. Over time they are usually adopted, or live in a foster home. Leaving the adolescence stage, and now transitioning to a teen it becomes somewhat more difficult to place the child. There are instances where the teen is not placed in a family. In a continuing cycle while in the child services system. Once the teen turns 18, they are considered an adult. No longer beingRead MoreA Link Between Foster Care Placement During Childhood And Adult Delinquency1348 Words   |  6 Pagesconducted in Sweden has shown a link between foster care placement during childhood and adult criminality. Two groups were identified, a control group and a treatment group. The control group consisted of individuals that were the same age and gender of the treatment group. The results showed that foster care predicts higher adult criminality for males first placed during adolesc ence (ages 13–18). No significant association for boys who were placed in foster care before age 13 and no significant associationRead MoreCounseling, Psychotherapy, And Psychoeducational Group Essay1461 Words   |  6 PagesPsychotherapy, or Psychoeducational Group In considering that a group on aging is centered on a particular theme, a psychoeducational group would be most appropriate. Corey (2010) suggests that the elderly may benefit from a psychoeducational structure as groups of this nature not only provide the opportunity to connect with members within the group, but teach members the skills they need to learn how to foster relationships and support systems beyond the group. Many older individuals, especially those withinRead MoreMental Health Is The Overall Psychological And The Emotional Well Being Of Any Individual1472 Words   |  6 Pagessomeone that can adjust to the emotional and behavioral requirements of stress and conflicts that are associated in daily living. According to Elizabeth Ahmann there is over â€Å"400,000 children are in foster care in the United States, and more than 100,000 of them are waiting to be adopted† (Ahmann p. 1). Foster home placement is associated with stress and disruptions in attachment rel ationships. These losses undermine a child’s attempt to form a secure attachment with a primary caregiver. John Bowlby