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The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.
- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross -
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Helping Young Adults Successfully Transition out of Foster Care
For children reaching the age at which their foster care ends, transitioning to adulthood can be extremely difficult. While other young adults can rely on their families for advice or financial support, these youth are entirely on their own. First Place for Youth is an organization that is offering 'a hand up' in the transition to adulthood with housing and support to help those who 'age out' of the foster care system to succeed. According to the University of Chicago's Chapin Hall Center for Children, 24 percent of young people are homeless after leaving the system and almost half end up in prison within two years. Providing an apartment with a covered security department and rental fees, First Place for Youth has four main goals for the foster children it supports: find stable employment, locate housing that matches their income, complete two semesters of community college or a certificate program and, finally, achieve "healthy living," which means avoiding arrests, unintended pregnancies and substance abuse.
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Be The Change
As many are not able to foster or adopt, there are other ways to support and help foster children. Write your local representatives about improving the foster care system, and particularly the transitional period from high school to adulthood. Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer, a member of the community that receives training and works as an advocate on behalf of children in the court system. To get involved with First Place for Youth, visit their website. { more }
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