One of our biggest questions that we ask in regards to older children in the system, one of the questions that led us to this adoption journey in the first place, is what happens when those children become adults? Where do they end up?
The simple but depressing answer is… on the streets. According to statistics, 80% of homeless youth in this country are foster children who aged out. There is another answer, though… in jail. With no home to call their own, and no family to turn to, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. Released from the system to try and make it in this tough world on their own, odds are that they will wind up uneducated, unemployed, homeless, in jail, and/or with children of their own before the age of 21.
The passion that I mentioned in a previous post, the passion that I suddenly realized I have for this cause… that passion has also led to some negativity. Okay… a lot of negativity. Not only am I spending time reading news about foster care, foster children, aging out, adoption, and the problems with the foster care system in this country, but I am also being presented with real cases… real situations in our state where children have been horribly mistreated. It has caused me to question, even more, the current state of humanity, the selfish attitude that is behind so many people’s behaviors, the lack of concern so many show for how their actions affect those around them.
And then I happen upon a wonderful story, or a person, or an organization that puts a huge smile on my face and gives me a little ray of hope.
There is an organization in Miami called Casa Valentina. I received an email notifying me that they were following me on Twitter, so I decided to check out their website. This organization exists for the sole purpose of helping young women who are aging out of the foster care system become independent. They accomplish this by providing them with safe and affordable housing, a life skills curriculum, and the support and encouragement they need in order to finish their education and become a productive, successful member of society.
The second such story arrived in my email recently. There is a couple in Chesterfield, VA who are running a similar program on their own called Beating the Odds. Providing advice, life skills, and an apartment to live in, this couple goes as far as to treat everyone who goes through their program as a member of their family.
If you know of any organization, individuals, families, who are doing wonderful things to help the children in this country who are about to age out, I would love to hear about them.
We need more of this… please.