In any given year, about 20,000 of the approximately 500,000 children in foster care through-out the United States turn 18 without having been adopted. They age out of the system, and into a world of sudden independence, without the benefit of parental support. Studies and statistics consistently show that these youth are at risk for a variety of problems –including homelessness, unemployment and underemployment, criminal activity, and insufficient educational attainment.
Recognizing the need for a systematic plan of concrete, attainable strategies that address the “real life” needs of aging-out youth, the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition (GPUAC), through the Blueprint to End Homelessness and with the support of the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services (DHS), contracted with Philadelphia Safe and Sound (PSS) to study the experiences of youth in Philadelphia who had become homeless after leaving the child welfare system.
Of the 75 youth surveyed (from whom quantitative
data was gathered):
1 out of 2 youth left the foster care system:
• without a job, AND
• without a high school diploma/GED.
1 out of 4 youth left the foster care system:
• without a job, AND
• without adult support, AND
• without a place to live.
1 out of 5 youth left the foster care system:
• without a job, AND
• without a high school diploma/GED, AND
• without adult support.
This study reveals several consistently problematic themes in the lives of these young people. These are broken down into seven “problem areas” that range from in-care experiences that impact social/emotional development to overall system limitations.
Innovative and best-practice-based services must be developed and implemented for this population. A comprehensive set of strategies, as outlined in this report, provides a jumping-off point for real systems reform.
For the full report, go to:
http://www.gpuac.org/documents/Aged-OutandHomelessReport-ExecutiveSummary.pdf
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