The Realities of Young People Aging Out of the Foster Care System
Our methods of helping young adults recently discharged from the foster care system in our city and across the United States are deeply flawed. Some may go as far as to argue that these efforts are almost nonexistent outside of the non-profit organizations dedicated to helping 18-24-year-olds in the foster care to homelessness pipeline.
The experiences of an 18-24-year-old who has been through the foster care system, does not have a stable roof over their head or perennial support, and who may have experienced severe abuse while in foster care can be unimaginable to someone who enjoys these privileges.
It is critical to address the economic gap and lack of opportunities for young people fresh out of foster care, or those who run away from the system prematurely, in order to fight for solutions and programs that work towards bridging the divide.
The Gap Between Those Leaving Foster Care and Their Peers:
More than 23,000 youths age out of the foster care system every year. It is difficult for anyone at 18 years old to live a financially independent life with no higher education, in addition to these obstacles, former foster care youths enter adulthood without a parent or guardian to provide them with a place of shelter. Many have also dealt with malnutrition, abuse, and mental health struggles throughout their coming of age to adulthood. Moreover, the NAEH reports that 12-26% of those who age out of foster care will face homelessness at least once after being discharged as an adult.
Without the same communal or familial support, pursuing one’s dreams and working towards upward mobility is difficult. 70% of foster youth aspire to go to college. However, without a stable roof over their heads as they work to establish themselves professionally and academically. Statistics fluctuate but generally estimate that the percentage of foster system kids who will receive a college degree falls between 3% to 10%. Even a high school diploma or GED is a hard threshold to achieve, with only 1 in 4 foster kids able to graduate from high school or obtain their GED.
The Price of the Gap
Without a stable roof over their heads, access to programs with adequate funding, and often a lack of a support network, many young people recently discharged from foster care struggle in their early adulthood. There have been countless studies covering the link between poverty and crime; this link is especially prevalent amongst young men who have survived a foster care upbringing. The NFYI reports that 3 in 5 young men legally emancipated from foster care have been convicted of a crime.
For young women coming out of the system, pregnancy is widespread. The Guttmacher Institute reports that women who have gone through foster care are more than twice as likely to become a mother by 19 than their peers. Moreover, 7 in 10 will become a mother before the age of 21.
A study from the National Institutes of Health found that adolescents in foster care are four times more likely to have attempted suicide in the past year, five times more likely to receive a drug dependence diagnosis, and
What is Causing the Gap?
The foster care system notoriously under-invests in foster children, contributing less than 50% of what costs an average American family to raise a child from 0–17 years of age. This lack of equity to supply foster children with necessities and a standard of living on par with their peers leaves many in the system without essentials, proper nutrition, and additional test-taking guidance or tutoring. iFoster calculates that within four years of aging out, 70% will be on government assistance, 25% will not have completed high school, and less than 12% will ever earn their college degree.
In 2019, WNYC reported 4,600 young people under 25 are spending their nights on the streets or in a homeless shelter in NYC. The same article reports that 50% of young people experiencing homelessness had aged out of or ran away from the foster care system.
To put that number into perspective, there were at most 800 beds for 18-24-year-olds in shelters across the city. We have covered on our blog how that number has increased dramatically due to social distancing, lower staff numbers, and other regulations in dormitory-style homeless shelters across the city.
The Intersectionality of Youth Homelessness:
It is essential to address how systemic racism and discrimination cross over with youth homelessness. A Chapin Hall report found that homeless youth in New York are almost entirely people of color, and nearly half of respondents were members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Center for American Progress reports 25-50% of young people experiencing homelessness on the coasts identify as LGBTQ+. Whereas, in the Midwest, the percentage of homeless youth who identify as LGBTQ+ is 10-25%. This is because many of these young members of the LGBTQIA+ community experiencing homelessness have headed to the East or West Coast for a safer environment. Likewise, Lesley University cites family conflict as the prime cause of homelessness amongst LGBTQIA youth.
Bridging the Divide
Providing a more robust social safety that offers equitable opportunities for young people born into a cycle of poverty, many of whom have lost their loved ones and face unfathomable abuse to their peers, is critical.
We are working to bridge the gap by building a network with allies and other non-profits, creating a free website for young people to access and directly contact shelters, free programs, and secure networks. However, these changes should also be addressed at a city, state, and federal level.
A private citizen working to be an ally for young people experiencing homelessness can help in several ways right now:
Sign the petition to demand Mayor De Blasio provide proper funding to combat the homeless youth crisis.
Support the Action Network’s petition to demand the Mayor, and Governor Cuomo, increase funding on a city-and-state-level for permanent housing.
If you have the time and/or money to spare, there are many articles on how to help the homeless around NYC.
To help LGBTQ+ youth, volunteer or donate to Orgs like New Alternatives, The Ali Forney Center, and Point Source Youth.
If you own a profitable business, have a platform as an influential figure, or work in a public office, please consider donating funds or providing free promotions to nonprofits advocating for homeless young people.
Thanks for Reading This Far
We understand that for many who are not directly impacted by the system keeping up with current affairs on a variety of social issues can be exhausting. Hence why we have created this blog on our site to provide frequent updates, share petitions, promote funding campaigns, and market and interview other nonprofits that align with our values.
Thanks for your help in our city’s fight to advocate for youth experiencing homelessness, demand adequate programs for those impacted, and to provide a platform to those who our current institutions have failed. Stay tuned for more updates.
