Special Topics
"Aging Out: What Happens When You've Grown Up in Foster Care and Suddenly You're on Your Own?"
How You Can Help
For Community Members
Public opinion shows that a majority of Americans would be willing to volunteer their time to help youth in their communities who are transitioning out of foster care. These young people are in foster care through no fault of their own, but they need the community's help to ensure that they become independent and healthy. Here are some specific things that you can do to create opportunities for youth leaving foster care:
- Become a mentor. One of the best ways for youth who are leaving foster care to succeed is to have a caring adult they can count on for help and advice. There are numerous organizations in your community that can help you learn more. A great place to get started is MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership.
- Open doors to education. Helping youth get access to job training and post-secondary education greatly increases their chances for success. Providing assistance with locating training programs, financial assistance paperwork like the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), and tutoring are all great ways to get involved.
- Introduce them to the world of work. Offering opportunities for job shadowing, apprenticeships, and internships are a great way to prepare youth in foster care for the working world.
- Learn about the youth leaving foster care in your community. Help yourself and others know more about how many youth are transitioning, what their specific challenges are, and what resources are available to meet those needs.
For Employers and Educators
Youth leaving foster care often have not had as much experience with the world of work as other youth. Thus some of these young people may need extra attention navigating the application and screening process and with on-the-job training. Specifically, consider three things you/your company can do to help youth in your community:
- Introduce them to the world of work. Offering opportunities for job shadowing, apprenticeships, and internships are a great way to prepare youth in foster care for the working world.
- Open doors to job training. Helping youth gain access to job training and post-secondary education greatly increases their chances for success.
- Recruit, train, and employ youth leaving foster care. Successful models, such as the UPS School-to-Career partnership, show that youth leaving care can make good employees for companies who want to "do good" in their communities while "doing well" at the same time.
For Policymakers
There are several specific actions that policymakers can take at the state and national level to help young people make successful transitions into adulthood:
- Understand the flexibility you have with funds under the Chafee Act, the federal money that is targeted to youth who are aging out of foster care.
- Bring together coalitions of business people, educators, and community leaders to provide opportunities for young people leaving foster care.
- Waive tuition at public universities for young people who have been in foster care.
- Take up the option the federal government provides to offer Medicaid insurance for young people between 18 and 21 years of age who have aged out of foster care
- Promote the use of education and training vouchers.
- Provide tax credits—not just deductions—to employers making contributions to IDA programs.
How Can You Support the Opportunity Passport™? With community foundations and local United Ways as potential partners, communities, employers, and public agencies can support the Opportunity Passport™.
- Local funders can match IDA funds so participants acquire assets more rapidly.
- Small businesses and large corporations can provide internships, mentoring programs, and jobs to Opportunity Passport™ participants.
- Community and faith-based organizations can offer Door Openers to assist with education, mentor relationships, and youth leadership opportunities.
- State and county child welfare officials can use Foster Care Independence Act—or "Chafee"—dollars for matching funds or the creation of new Door Openers.
