Why youth aging out of foster care?

A couple weeks ago, I was talking with a new friend who worked and lived for years with men and women who were chronically homeless. She shared something their team always said: If you want to tackle homelessness, work with youth aging out of foster care.

Foster care and homelessness (along with a number of other social issues) are tightly linked.

• Around 1 in 4 young men and women will be homeless within two to four years of exiting foster care. (National Alliance to End Homelessness)

• Foster youth are 14 times more likely not to complete college than the general population (Chapin Hall Midwest Study).

• The unemployment rate among former foster care youth is 47% (Chapin Hall Midwest Study).

• About 25% of foster care alumni experience post-traumatic stress (compared to 4% of the general population) (Northwest Foster Care Alumni Survey).

But while the numbers tell quite a story, statistics can feel overwhelming or intangible. In my case, I didn’t think much about the foster care system until I got to know people who were a part of it. Teaching high school 10 years ago, I had some students in foster care and some who were homeless. Their realities floored me. A couple of those students made a lasting impact, launching me on a journey to learn more and birthing a desire to get involved in the future.

I think of myself when I turned 18—with my family supporting me socially, financially, and emotionally as I started my first year of college. I can’t imagine leaving home (or not having a permanent home) at this age and suddenly being responsible for figuring everything out. Could I have continued my education, found work, secured housing, gotten connected to a community?

I’m excited that Second Rise can play a very minor role in supporting youth aging out of foster care, and our aim is to do more. Thank you for helping equip others in our community!