Life-skills help for ex-foster children
At 18, they're set free in the world.
And this is what statistics suggest they will likely encounter: no health care, no job, no money for housing, pregnancy, incarceration and no one who cares.
Their suicide rate, correspondingly, is more than double that of other young adults.
Utah is among many states across the country trying to fill the void that accompanies young adults when they age out of foster care. It's a topic at today's opening sessions of the National Conference of State Legislatures, which is being held at the Salt Palace Convention Center this week.
Launched late last year by Gov. Olene Walker, the Transition to Adult Living Team has drawn together some 60 private, public and corporate entities to pool efforts that will serve as a resource for foster kids leaving the system. The team meets monthly and hopes to have the entire plan in place late this year.
This month it is reviewing the efforts made so far under the direction of the 20-member Implementation Team.
"Some of the kids can't wait to get out of custody," said Barbara Thompson, one of two Department of Human Services employees who heads up the effort.
Rachael, 19, doesn't disagree.
Rachael, who did not want her last name revealed, is homeless, struggling to find a job in a world she's not been schooled to handle.
A former foster care youth, she says the system can improve by focusing more on teaching teenagers life skills, rather than stressing feel-good therapy to "fix" some behavioral problem.
"Therapy doesn't necessarily teach you how to go out and function in society when you have been in an abusive or neglectful home," she said. "They need to teach you more skills, rather than just trying to rehabilitate the mind."
Utah's answer is the establishment of eight task groups by the Transition to Adult Living Team, focusing on areas such as housing, job training and education, health care and transportation.
One group has the goal to establish a "transition support fund" that former foster children can tap into for expenses like that first rent payment or clothing suitable for a job interview.
Another effort is exploring the feasibility of extending Medicaid benefits to 21 former foster children. As it is, when young adults leave state custody, their Medicaid benefit is terminated, unless they are eligible for another program that will cover their health-care costs until age 21.
Nationally, it is estimated 90 percent of former foster children lack health insurance coverage, yet the majority suffer medical or mental health problems.
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