How to Help the Older Teens and “Adults” in the Foster Care System

When older teens age out of the Foster system, many end up without an adequate living situation. Luckily, in an attempt to combat this, The California Fostering Connections to Success Act officially became law in 2012. One of the many changes this law brought is that foster youth can both extend legal emancipation to occur at 21 – as opposed to 18 as before – and receive additional benefits between 18 and 21. Thanks to this law, individuals who are technically adults can still remain in out-of-home care. But what can you do to help these now adults?

In California, is it legal to foster-adopt an older teen/adult. 18 to 21-year-olds can still be fostered and even adopted within California’s foster care system. Actually, thanks to California’s foster laws, you can adopt a person of any age, so long as you are 10 years older than the adoptee in question. While the process of adoption and fostering is different at this stage, the benefits may be larger than anticipated. An astonishing number of aged-out foster teens and adults end up without a home, job, or sufficient education to acquire either of these things on their own. Studies show that they are at increased risk for homelessness, young parenthood, low educational attainment, high unemployment rates, and other adverse adult outcomes. Thankfully, you have the power to influence and ultimately change these statistics. By opening up your home and your heart to an older child, you may be changing their lives and shaping their immediate future more than you know. You will not be alone on this journey either. Many states and organizations provide financial assistance to teens who are in foster care or who have been adopted. Youth adopted from the foster care system when they are 16 or older may be able to access Education and Training Vouchers (ETV) of up to $5,000 per year. Those who were adopted from foster care when they are 13 or older are more likely to qualify for federal financial student aid because they don’t have to count family income when applying. When it comes to medical and mental health benefits, qualifying families may receive federally funded monthly maintenance payments, medical assistance, and other support, often until a child turns 18 or 21, depending on the state where they live.

If you are interested in this process of helping foster young-adults reach their goals and further their education, we recommend reading up on the laws in place around this situation, and how other resource parents have implemented this in their own families. For more details on fostering and the process of getting your family approved, visit our website. 

Sources

https://www.adoptuskids.org/meet-the-children/children-in-foster-care/older-youth-need-families