Should States Support Foster Kids till Age 21? | Newsweek Health

New research supports a radical shift in child-welfare policy for the thousands of teens who 'age out' of foster care at age 18, only to face high rates of homelessness, unemployment and incarceration.

By Daniel Heimpel | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Mar 9, 2009

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Eighteen-year-old John Kyzer's blue eyes are bleary and the skin around them puffy as he paces a corner of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Kyzer has been spending his nights on a bench in front of a Starbucks. And now, he is dangerously close to entering the ranks of dozens of other former foster youth who "cop a squat" (sit) on concrete stairwells and sleep in "abandos" (abandoned buildings) up and down the street.

Soon after his 18th birthday, the state of California "terminated" Kyzer's case and he was forced to leave his group home. He moved in with his girlfriend and their 4-month-old baby in the home she shared with three generations of her family. Wanting to help support his son, Kyzer got a job at Starbucks and worked as many hours as the boss would give him. For two months his confidence brimmed.

But then he did something many teenagers do. He blew off work and was fired. Now, the door to his girlfriend's house is shut. Kyzer is on his own.

For Kyzer and many of the more than 25,000 other foster youth in the United States who "age out" of the system every year, there is no family and no support network to pick you up when you fall. Within two years of emancipation, half of Los Angeles County's foster youth will be unemployed, one fifth will be homeless and a quarter will have been to prison, according the Children's Law Center. Similar fates can be expected across the country for many of the 500,000 children who call the state their parents.

But a law signed by President Bush in the waning days of his administration could radically change the futures of these children. The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 offers states matching federal funds to extend care to age 21 for all foster youth who choose to stay in the system after their 18th birthday. What's meant by "care" would vary state by state, but could include extending Medicaid coverage to age 21 (which about 20 states now do), providing housing vouchers or access to group homes, vocational training, educational funding and psychological counseling services.

"We have known for a long time that kids don't suddenly become self-sufficient at the age of 18," says the federal bill's sponsor, Rep. Jim McDermott of Washington state. "The law we passed last year finally recognized the need to better provide the building blocks of success to these children."

Research released Monday suggests that the approach makes financial sense for a government weighed down by the costs of incarceration, welfare, Medicaid and homelessness incurred by former foster youth who struggle after emancipation. Conducted by the University of Washington School of Social Work, the study finds that caring for young adults until age 21 will represent a return of $2.40 on every government dollar spent in California.

I recently aged out this previous December as a foster child and I am trying to figure out some way to pay for college. I have been looking a long time and finally came across this article. I think it is a very good idea to help other foster children that age out of the system until a set age. By that time those people will have hopefully gotten a job so they are able to earn money and pay for bills. I am very fortunate that I have been taught the skills I need for life such as how to drive, dress nicely, schedule job interviews, and other various necessary skills. I have also been fortunate that the home I live in taught me how to make great grades throughout high school. I went from failing sixth grade to having almost perfect A's by the end of the eighth grade. Throughout high school I took many difficult courses like English AP and Calculus AP and many honors courses in English, Biology, Chemistry, and numerous mathematics courses. Being a four-year member of the AFJROTC program and becoming very actively involved to where I became one of the top eight cadets in the entire program was also a great improvement since my sixth grade year. I have learned a lot throughout the last five or six years of my life. I had had two foster homes before this one, in which I went back to my biological family afterwards, then I returned soon afterwards because my family could not handle me being as that I was ADHD and would sometimes refuse to do anything required of me. Since being in this foster home, I have had a dramatic improvement and I think that other foster children need to have a home like this one. This has been a great five or six years with only a few minor "bumps and diversions." I hope that last little phrase sounds right because that's the only thing I could think of. I have only one foster parent and she is the best in the entire world and I don't know what I would do without her. She has inspired me to be more than I ever thought I could be.

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Posted By: SexiVampire16 @ 10/02/2009 2:57:15 PM

I am a 16 year old girl who's currently in foster care but i am in the ILS system which they help you with the finacial problems, sex problems, any kind of issue that you will need to know before you turn 18.
*~Jill F~*
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Posted By: ssheath @ 04/14/2009 11:50:04 PM

There are programs out there to help you get into college. One of these is the Job Corps program, another would be to join a branch of the military service and a third option would be the Peace Corps. There are probably many other programs available to you, but these are three widely available options with three very different settings. Find one that will work for you and go for it! The main thing is to have the drive and desire to go to college. There isn't anything you CANNOT do if you set your mind to it and are willing to work hard to get it! Good Luck!
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Posted By: lucyball1234 @ 04/10/2009 10:54:01 PM

I recently aged out this previous December as a foster child and I am trying to figure out some way to pay for college. I have been looking a long time and finally came across this article. I think it is a very good idea to help other foster children that age out of the system until a set age. By that time those people will have hopefully gotten a job so they are able to earn money and pay for bills. I am very fortunate that I have been taught the skills I need for life such as how to drive, dress nicely, schedule job interviews, and other various necessary skills. I have also been fortunate that the home I live in taught me how to make great grades throughout high school. I went from failing sixth grade to having almost perfect A's by the end of the eighth grade. Throughout high school I took many difficult courses like English AP and Calculus AP and many honors courses in English, Biology, Chemistry, and numerous mathematics courses. Being a four-year member of the AFJROTC program and becoming very actively involved to where I became one of the top eight cadets in the entire program was also a great improvement since my sixth grade year. I have learned a lot throughout the last five or six years of my life. I had had two foster homes before this one, in which I went back to my biological family afterwards, then I returned soon afterwards because my family could not handle me being as that I was ADHD and would sometimes refuse to do anything required of me. Since being in this foster home, I have had a dramatic improvement and I think that other foster children need to have a home like this one. This has been a great five or six years with only a few minor "bumps and diversions." I hope that last little phrase sounds right because that's the only thing I could think of. I have only one foster parent and she is the best in the entire world and I don't know what I would do without her. She has inspired me to be more than I ever thought I could be.