| June is a milestone month for many high school | | | | challenging transition to adulthood. Programs such as |
| seniors, celebrating graduation, taking senior trips and | | | | Hillsides Youth Moving On, a transitional living program |
| preparing for college. At the same time, 20,000 | | | | that provides quality, affordable housing to twenty |
| foster care youth age out of or emancipate from | | | | former foster youth who are eligible, are helping |
| foster care each year. Of those youth, one-fifth or | | | | them transition into adulthood successfully. |
| 4,000 youth, who turn 18 and graduate from high | | | | Initiating legislation to combat the grim futures for |
| school live in California, leave the foster care system | | | | foster youth, United States Senator Barbara Boxer |
| with little to no support, and 65% of these youth do | | | | has introduced the Foster Care Continuing |
| so without a place to live. | | | | Opportunities Act, which would provide federal |
| Many of these youth with histories of abuse and | | | | funding to States to continue providing essential |
| neglect never reunite with their families or find | | | | foster care services such as food, housing, and legal |
| alternative permanent homes. Forty percent of | | | | services to youth over the age of 18, which are |
| emancipated foster youth become homeless within | | | | currently inaccessible to young adults aging out of |
| three years. In Los Angeles and Alameda counties, | | | | foster care. |
| 50% of emancipated youth will be homeless within | | | | Online resources like is a national network for foster |
| six months, according to Covenant House of | | | | children and youth providing a wealth of information |
| California. | | | | to help prepare them for emancipation. Another |
| Unfortunately, youth who emancipate from foster | | | | source is United Friends of the Children, that provides |
| care face disproportionately higher rates of | | | | advice and tips for former foster youth. Life skills are |
| unemployment, incarceration, substance abuse, | | | | essential in preparing foster youth and has |
| non-marital childbirth, lower education attainment, | | | | assessments and tools to help them out. |
| dependence on public assistance, and other high-risk | | | | For emancipated foster youth graduating from high |
| behaviors. Unlike those high school graduates who | | | | school, June is a milestone month-a month that |
| have a family support system, emancipated foster | | | | marks the end of their foster care journey and the |
| youth lack the encouragement, self-esteem, | | | | beginning of a daunting transition to adulthood as the |
| protection and financial support that accompany | | | | statistics indicate. Their primary concern after |
| family life. | | | | graduation is to find a roof over their heads. As |
| Staff at nonprofit organizations and foundations along | | | | adults we can make a difference to ease this |
| with elected officials are working together to reduce | | | | transition for foster youth. The resources mentioned |
| the risk factors for foster youth who face a | | | | are a great starting point to do just that. |