Youth in foster care can achieve permanency in three ways: Reunification with their family, adoption or guardianship.<\/p>\n
A child who does not achieve permanency remains in foster care until \u201caging out\u201d or emancipation, which in Maryland occurs at age 21.<\/p>\n
According to a 2019 study, 29% of homeless youth and young adults have spent time in foster care; a 2024 study showed 22-30% of emancipated youth become homeless.<\/p>\n
The instability inherent in homelessness often results in academic difficulties, unemployment, early parenthood, substance abuse, mental and physical health challenges and encounters with the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n
Resources are available to youth aging out of foster care to provide support.<\/p>\n
In 2019, HUD\u2019s Foster Youth to Independence Initiative program went into effect, providing for the distribution of vouchers under the Family Unification Program Housing Choice Vouchers to youth between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four who have aged out of foster care and otherwise meet certain eligibility requirements.<\/p>\n
FYI is specifically designed to provide immediate assistance to these youth upon leaving foster care so that homelessness never occurs or is eliminated.<\/p>\n
For FUP vouchers, a young person pays approximately 30% of their monthly income towards the rent of a private apartment for three years, with an additional two years of voucher assistance available if the young person works, attends school or joins HUD\u2019s Family Self Sufficiency Program.<\/p>\n
Most youth transitioning out of foster care have had adverse childhood experiences including neglect, abuse, instability, or the loss of a parent.<\/p>\n
ACE\u2019s and the associated enduring trauma can negatively impact the mental, emotional and physical wellbeing of foster care youth as they transition into adulthood, creating a greater need for physical and mental health support.<\/p>\n
\u201c[E]xposure to violence may contribute to chronic health conditions such as asthma, cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, lung disease and diabetes, many of which former foster youth disproportionately experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Therefore, youth who are aging out of the foster care system must have continued access to comprehensive healthcare after their twenty-first birthday.<\/p>\n
The Affordable Care Act provides a mandated eligibility pathway for Medicaid for \u201cformer foster care\u201d youth to receive Medicaid until their twenty-sixth birthday, as do youth who live with their parents.<\/p>\n
In 2003, The Annie E. Casey Foundation launched Opportunity Passport, a program that provides financial literacy training and then assists foster care youth in establishing and maintaining a savings account.<\/p>\n
Youth receive a dollar-for-dollar match for eligible purchases such as vehicles, housing, education or investments.<\/p>\n
In Maryland, the local Department of Social Services administers the program to youth in foster care through a program called the Jim Casey Youth Opportunity Passport Keys to Your Financial Future Online Classes.<\/p>\n
Lack of awareness of resources and isolation are common barriers to foster care youth.<\/p>\n
For example, despite eligibility for Medicaid until age 26, \u201cformer foster youth have lower primary care use and higher levels of emergency department usage than their peers not in foster care.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is in part explained by lack of health literacy or difficulty in scheduling appointments or finding transportation for medical appointments.<\/p>\n
Access to resources is a significant start for youth who are aging out; however, lasting success requires a network of invested individuals, including child welfare advocates, committed to the young adult\u2019s success.<\/p>\n
Tamala Lunn is a Staff Attorney at Maryland Legal Aid.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Youth in foster care can achieve permanency in three ways: Reunification with their family, adoption or guardianship. A child who does not achieve permanency remains in foster care until \u201caging out\u201d or emancipation, which in Maryland occurs at age 21. According to a 2019 study, 29% of homeless youth and young adults have spent time …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3248,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52569,491,2536],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-columns","category-featured","subscriber_only"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n