Foster Children - Extending Foster Care in Ohio for Children Until 21

 

 

Ohio is poised to become the next state to raise the age limit when foster children are forced out of foster care from 18 to 21. There are many reasons why this change will benefit foster kids although there are existing downsides as well.


Several studies have highlighted the disastrous outcomes that 90% of foster kids experience who age out at 18: homelessness, incarceration, and higher pregnancy rates to name a few.

It's pretty easy to imagine why millions of foster youth have these results. Millions of young professionals flocked back to their parents' homes during the last economic disaster. Some are still there. At least they had a home to go to whereas for foster children, it's sink or swim on their 18th birthday.




Tim Rylance, a former foster teen who aged out recently, said that he had a challenging time making the adjustment. During an interview with Fox19, he shares that:

"I've gone through a lot being emancipated. You know, homelessness, drugs, hanging out with the wrong crowd, being in trouble, having to get things expunged off my record. Things get crazy when you're just kind of booted out the door."

Deisera Sharp, another former foster child, said, "Being 18 and aging out of foster care is one of the scariest situations to ever be in."


Fortunately for millions of foster youth, the federal government in 2010 modified The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act to extend federally funded (Title IV-E ) payments to states that were willing to set up services to support foster teens until age 21.

Twenty-four states including California, Indiana and Tennessee have already initiated laws that provide extended services for their foster children.


There are studies supporting this age change, the most prominent being The Midwest Study that researched outcomes for foster kids in three states. If this wasn't enough, two more studies were done on the results of The Midwest Study confirming that increasing the age that foster teens exit the system benefits the children, businesses and taxpayers.

We all know that no changes come without challenges. Already organizations are pointing out that simply raising the age limit to 21 for foster children will only have a band-aid effect unless these changes come with better training and support programs for foster youth. These kids need to be prepared to be on their own.

One of the best ways to help foster youth is to find their family members before these children age out no matter the age.


Resolving the issues that foster children face requires more than one solution. Finding families members is one solution. Raising the age that foster teens are forced out of the system to 21 is another. Both solutions provide solid support to these children so that they can go on to live happier, healthier, more productive lives once they leave foster care.

As a society, we owe them at least a fighting chance to have the type of lives the rest of us enjoy.

Do it for the children,


  Richard

Richard Villasana
Find Families In Mexico
760-690-3995

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