the reality of Growing out of foster care
childhood in foster care
Some kids spend their entire
Foster care is intended to be temporary, to keep children safe and provide them with all necessities until a permanent living solution can be found. In practice, however, while many children spend just a few days in foster care, others remain for years in the foster care system. For these children, the role of the state is more that of a parent than a temporary guardian.
emancipation: A direct route to the street
who age out of the system
The future of foster children
For some youth leaving foster care, homelessness comes the day they emancipate from the foster care system; others move from
a foster home into a temporary housing situation only to find themselves without shelter shortly thereafter. Some are without a steady roof over their heads for days that turn into weeks or even years. With no job, no income, few educational prospects, and little emotional support or community connections, for most youth emancipation means nowhere to turn and no place to go.
