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Today's Poll!Our Opinion: Easing the transition out of foster care
News Tribune editorial
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Periods of transition can be among the most difficult.
For children in foster care, that period often occurs when they “age out” of the system at age 18.
The birthday may mark an abrupt transition from being another person’s responsibility to total self-reliance.
A best-case scenario is characterized by a smooth transition. A worst-case scenario may be marked by homelessness, unemployment and other difficulties.
A traveling performer, a local church and an area organization are raising awareness of the problem and working to ease transitions for the approximately 25 Cole County teens who age out of the foster care system each year.
Texan Kevin Montgomery performed a concert locally on Tuesday in connection with his nationwide tour to raise awareness about the plight of children aging out of foster care.
“Eighty percent of kids that age out of foster care go homeless in their first six months and 70 percent of prisoners in our prison system were in foster care,” he told his audience.
Creating transitional housing for those teens is a project of the missions team at Memorial Baptist Church.
The church is seeking partners to assist with financial contributions or property donations for transitional housing, where church members would serve as mentors and provide support services.
Two mission team members, Scott and Tisha Spencer, also serve on the board of Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association, which operates a Transitions program for older teens.
The Transitions program now is seeking eight mentors to match with teens aging out of foster care, according to DeAnna Alonso, executive director of the association.
A basic skills and life skills retreat at the Rickman Conference Center is part of the program.
In addition, the association will host its fourth annual Forget-Me-Not Gala on Nov. 1 at Capitol Plaza Hotel.
People interested in serving as mentors or learning more about the Transitions program or gala may go to www.ccfosteradopt.com or contact deanna@ccfosteradopt.com.
The transition from foster care can pose yet another dilemma for children who already have faced many dilemmas.
We commend the organizations and individuals who are helping ease their predicament.
Marry Me
Comments
mgcval 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Thank you, News Tribune, for shining a spotlight on this vitally important issue facing so many of Missouri's children.
Each year thousands of Missouri youth leave home to start college or a new job and begin a life of independence. And each year, many of them return to their parents’ home for a time after setbacks to regain their footing, refocus, and strengthen their preparedness for independence. Others may stay on their own but get some additional guidance and help. The overwhelming majority of these youth can turn to their parents, but those youth whose parents were the State of Missouri have a more difficult road. There is no mechanism for youth 18 or over who left Missouri’s care for independence to get that support, and the consequences can be dire.
This lack of access at such a crucial time for former foster care youth encountering difficulties frequently results in interrupted education, unemployment and decreased employability, increased risk of homelessness, and increased vulnerability to unhealthy coping mechanisms.
There is a simple and cost-effective solution that can make a life-time of difference. Current law allows for the custody of a child under the age of 18 to be returned to the Children's Division within the Department of Social Services if the juvenile officer, Children's Division or the child petitions the court to do so.
The Missouri Coalition of Children’s Agencies proposes that, “under the age of 18” be changed to “under 21 years of age.” This simple and cost-effective change to Missouri law will open doors, bring stability, provide opportunities, and most importantly, change lives. For more information on this issue, please contact the Mary Chant at the Missouri Coalition of Children’s Agencies.
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