Aging out of foster care

In many situations, more than what you would expect, teens in foster care age out of the system. "The kids who age out do not have any role models. They are on their own at just eighteen," (Lezman). For many eighteen year olds they have not even graduated form high school. This problem may cause the young adult to struggle to get a job and support themselves on their own. Many of these foster kids cannot trust someone and that is why they have never been adopted, others have always wanted to be adopted but no one has taken that step.

Many of the kids who age out will have a hard time surviving in the world, many become homeless, jobless, and many will even end up in prison. 1 in 4 kids who age out will end up in jail within 2 years and 1 in 5 will become homeless (Cose). This makes it even harder for these kids, who have no one and nothing, to make it in life. Many young adults not in foster care will live and depend on their parents between the ages of 24-34. "Foster youth do not always have the option of turning to their families for support," ("Chid Welfare").

Since aging out of foster care is such a big issue the government have changed the aging out age to 21, but at 18 that child needs to decide weather they would like to age out or go into independent living (Lezman).


In the picture below it shows a young girl holding up a sign that says "All I did was turn 18," this shows how these kids just loss everything.