Aging Out of the System

There certainly are no shortages of social service concerns that deserve our attention — especially when youth are involved — but I’m pleased that this particular issue is finally rising to the top in terms of our national and local priorities. The problem is simple and straightforward, we need a more effective and realistic safety net to catch children when they “age out” of the foster care system.

Eighteen is the magical age of emancipation in America (and many other countries as well) and when youth gain their majority, the foster care system is no longer legally bound to protect them — although some services are still provided and paid for through the early 20s. However, few, if any, 18-year-olds are ready to go out into the world and make a success of their lives. Even the best prepared 18-year-olds struggle, and youth coming out of foster care struggle even more.

Most parents are busily preparing to send their 18-year-old progeny off to college (or at least are attempting to get them into some type of training program, apprenticeship or steady job), not sit them out on the street. But kids that age out of foster care are all too often put out on their own and told to make it in the world they know little about navigating.

However, social service professionals are beginning to come to grips with the problem, and a Canadian project, “Promoting Positive Outcomes for Youth From Care” launched in 2005, has been designed to examine what happens to young people following their exit from foster care. The project will track 37 youths over a 2.5 year period. In addition, the project has built in a peer support component whereby young adults who have lived in foster care are available to offer support to the youth participants over the course of the project. As an aspect of the research, the project will explore whether and how the provision of ‘peer support’ makes a difference to youth following their exit from care.

The project will seek to answer research questions such as: “What are young people’s experiences and status in relation to various life domains including social relationships, physical and mental health, criminal justice system, education and employment, during the period of their imminent or recent ‘aging out’ of care? What are young people’s feelings about and perspectives on aging out, and their sense of preparedness for living on their own?

These are often at-risk kids. Many of them have experienced significant trauma, abuse and neglect in their lives, and they leave the child welfare system, many cannot count on the ongoing parental and familial support enjoyed by most adolescents in the general population. A significant proportion of these care-leavers need emotional support along with practical assistance to locate suitable housing, educational programs, and employment, and to establish rewarding personal relationships.”

However, an innovative program which is showing some early signs of success was recently launched by the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The agency was paying other county agencies (and outside contractors) to do some scanning and microfilming of records, as mandated by state law. They came up with the idea of setting up a program to use their own kids who recently aged out of foster care to do the work. The two-year program is being run by ARCA, and is providing the young people with their first real life work experience... and a paycheck. Other county agencies are now taking an interest in participating in the program by finding work for these young people to do. This program could eventually have nationwide implications as a demonstration model.

But these youths’ needs are multiple. They are at that critical age where numerous transitions take place: From adolescence to early adulthood; from high school to perhaps college; from school to work; and from family of origin to establishment of one’s own homes and patterns. For the majority of youth these transitions represent a process that, ideally, takes place over a period of time and with the support of family or relatives. Indeed, the norm is for young people to depend on their parents and relatives well into their 20s.

County officials are beginning to realize that the substantial investment they’ve made in these kids — in terms of payments to foster care providers and the costs associated with the vast social work structure that has guided their lives until age 18 — is being put at risk by not seeing the job all the way through. If aged out kids are allowed to fall through the cracks all previous monies used for their care will have been ill-spent, and, additionally, society will perhaps be burdened with continuing to pay for the care of these youth, but in a jail or prison setting.

All too often people make the mistake of thinking these are “bad” kids, rather than just kids who have gotten a “bad break.” Many kids survive foster care, go on to get a college education, and then go on to lead meaningful and productive lives. Some even go back and work at DCFS, the agency that helped them.

One story I heard in particular tugged at my heartstrings: A young woman who has aged out of the system is going to an out-of-town university with help from DCFS, and doing quite well with her studies, thank you. However, when Spring Break (and summer) rolls around, as all of the other kids head for home, she is stuck on campus, feeling forlorn and lonely... since she has no family or home to go to. This is a need we simply have to fill for these youth — and for ourselves.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com

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