I have long been an advocate for helping our youth in the foster care system, particularly those who are aging out and transitioning into adulthood.
My family and I personally experienced the needs of a foster youth by assisting a friend of one of my children who needed help transitioning into college life.
These individuals do not have the same connections we enjoyed with family and friends helping as we took the leap into becoming adults. The transition into adult life can be difficult as many struggle with fear and loneliness with others suffering from financial insecurity, untreated health problems, and homelessness.
Today, an estimated 400,000 children and youth are in foster care across the U.S. with about 20,000 aging out of foster care.
In fiscal year 2020, Texas had more than 27,000 children in foster care. Each year, approximately 700 to 900 foster youth reach age 18 and “age out” of eligibility for foster care services unless they choose to receive extended foster care services.
Many are unprepared for living on their own and lack the guidance needed to get into a college program and find vocational training. These foster youth may not even have the skills or knowledge needed for finding and securing a job.
A couple years ago, leaders from the Workforce Solutions of North Central Texas came to the courthouse for a visit. I will always remember one of their questions to me was “What keeps you up at night?” Among my short list of worries was the foster youth transitioning to secondary education or a career.
We spent the next few moments brainstorming some action steps to help these youth which ultimately led to the creation of the “Path to Work” foster youth guide. This guide provides clear, actionable pathways to sustainable careers, outlining steps they can take to achieve their goals. It also connects them with resources, such as training programs, apprenticeships and career counseling to navigate this critical transition period. I recently was invited to speak at the National Workforce Board conference where Phedra Redifer, the Executive Director of Workforce Solutions, and I outlined the creation process and success of this publication. We hope other workforce boards across the country can use this as a model for their service area.
Our own State of Texas’ Workforce Solutions is also critical in these efforts. The organization provides foster youth activities throughout Texas including job search assistance, resume preparation, access to information and tools, and access to WorkInTexas.com.
The Texas Workforce Commission also provides funding to Foster Youth Transition Centers, which provides a one-stop service to the diverse needs of older foster youth ages 16 to 25. These centers offer Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) classes, employment assistance, job search classes, career exploration, mentoring, housing assistance, GED classes including test preparation, and more. Other community partners may provide counseling for substance abuse and mental health issues, mentoring services and leadership training.
These classes and additional assistance will provide young former foster care adults with the knowledge they need to find the right path to a successful life. After speaking at the national conference, I was blessed when an individual came up to me afterwards and said he was so touched by their plight that he wanted to help by offering a new tool for finding the right career. Offering to help is exactly what I hope many of us will do. If you are interested in mentoring, providing career counseling or offering help in other ways, please reach out to me and we will connect you where you too can help.
We can help level the playing field and help these foster youth reach milestones by offering to help with whatever tools we can. Please join us in this meaningful, life-changing activity.
Connect With Us: If you have any questions or comments, please let me hear from you. My email is [email protected], and my office number is 940-349-2820. For more information, register for my newsletter at Dentoncounty.gov/countyjudgenewslettersignup.
