Most young adults reach their 18th birthday during their senior year of high school, a time marked by both excitement a heightened level of stress and anxiety. For youth in the foster care system, this stress is compounded by nagging questions related to how they will survive once, in a few short months, they graduate from high school and age out of care.
It’s an unwelcome change faced by thousands of foster care youth each year.
Although some states and the federal government have opened doors to allow foster youth to receive services until age 19, 20, or 21, implementation across the states has been limited.
“This not only puts a strain on society, but also on nonprofit human service organizations that are trying to help these kids establish permanency and increase their chances of success,” says Patrick Lester, senior vice president for public policy at the Alliance for Children and Families and United Neighborhood Centers of America.
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