Populations at Risk

Lemon 1 A population-at-risk I have chosen was the youth aging-out of foster care. By calling it “age-out” I’m referring to it as occurring both before and after leaving foster care. Nationally, there are 20,000 youth in foster care who are at the aging out of foster care. Generally, these children has been abused or neglected. There are those who feel as if foster care can have some type of impact on this particular lifestyle for these youth adults aging out of this care. Some feel that there may be some foster care homes that may possibly not help the child deal with their situation for leaving their family homes. For example, the child may have been physically or sexually abused, and or, have lived with parents with alcohol or substance use or abuse, and etc. Children who reach 18 and adulthood in the foster care system without being adopted or having any family or mentor of their own, may tend to struggle to live in this society. This type of system may result in becoming homeless, unemployment and job training, and education. I’ve learned that this particular group of people lives may have developmental or mental health problems. When stating homelessness I don’t exactly mean that the children automatically become homeless but they may at some point after being released from foster care. In that state it is hard for the youth adults to find homes of their own and simply struggles to be an individual in this society. They may become homeless is because of the individual’s use or abuse of alcohol or drugs. Mental illness may also be a major role. They may move from one home to another from time to time meaning living with extended group placements and unauthorized placements. This is because of living with an extended family in foster care Lemon 2 for a period of time. In result of foster care, it may have that youth adult feeling like this type of lifestyle is the correct or comfortable way of living. The aging-out

Cited: Godsoe, Cynthia, Caught Between Two Systems: How Exceptional Children in Out of Home Care Are Denied Equality in Education, Yale Law and Policy Review, 15 (2000). Lenz-Rashid, S. (2004). Employment experiences of homeless young adults: Are they different for youth with a history of foster care? Children and Youth Services Review, 28, 235-259. Population-At-Risk Reflection Paper “Youth Aging-Out Foster Care” Ayana Lemon Introduction to Social Work SOW 210-01 November 6, 2008