Emancipation isn't Free

May is Foster Care Month.

I first became cognizant of our flawed foster care systems during my years in the Junior League of Seattle. Improving the lives of children in foster care is compelling but it's difficult for people to think of children suffering and, I think, even more difficult to think that it's going on right under your nose.

One of the big issues facing children in foster care is emancipation. These are children who reach the age of 18 while in the foster system and who have not been adopted. They 'age out' of the system and are emancipated at 18 to start their own lives. But think of it, what do they carry with them into the future?

'The Child Welfare League of America reports that as many as 36 percent of foster youth who have aged out of the system become homeless, 56 percent become unemployed, 27 percent of male former foster youth become jailed. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that less than half of emancipated youth who have aged out graduate from high school, compared to 85 percent of all 18-to-24-year-olds; fewer than 1 in 8 graduate from a four-year college; two-thirds had not maintained employment for a year; fewer than 1 in 5 was completely self-supporting; more than a quarter of the males spent time in jail; and four of 10 had become parents as a result of an unplanned pregnancy.' (wikipedia)

Casey Family Programs and the Annie E. Casey Foundation work to improve the lives of children in foster care. And there are lots of things we can do - easy things - particularly for foster kids who are heading to college this May or June. http://orphan.org/index.php?id=27

I am recommending to our outreach board that we write letters to be included in care packages for new college freshmen moving from foster care to college. What tenacity to get through that system and actually head off to college.