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Connected by 25 Featured 6/1 on ABC's Nightline |
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Connected by 25 of Hillsborough County, Fla., will be featured this Thursday, June 1, on ABC's news program Nightline. Connected by 25 is a program that helps young adults who "age out" of foster care at age 18 make successful transitions to adulthood. Cby25 tries to connect these young people to education, employment, housing, banks, and support systems by age 25. Connected by 25 of Hillsborough County is an Eckerd Family Foundation grantee and a site of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, a national foundation that assists communities in helping young people transitioning from foster care. A young person who is "connected by 25" has attained four critical outcomes: employment and/or preparation for economic success; connection to a positive support system which includes informal and formal supports; the ability to be a reasonable parent; and readiness for civic engagement. The Foster Care Work Group is one of three work groups of the Youth Transition Funders Group. Unfortunately, far too many foster youth lack the basic support that most young people who live with their families take for granted---a helping hand as they prepare for the challenges of adult life and a network of caring adults to fall back on if they are uncertain, need help, or stumble along the way. When they turn 18, youth in care are emancipated from the bureaucratic system that has served as their custodian. To improve the likelihood that vulnerable youth between the ages of 14 and 24 will become "connected by 25," the Foster Care Work Group (FCWG) urges new investments to prepare foster youth and those leaving foster care for the future, as well as investments to meet their present needs while they are in the custody of the state. First, economic success is often a potent and predictive measure of future success in managing a number of fundamental aspects of adult life, including housing, family stability, safety, health, and social well-being. On average, they only attend school 76 percent of the time, and foster children in special education are likely to show patterns of declining attendance. For example, it is important to orient teachers and school administrators to the issues facing youth in care---child maltreatment trauma, separation from siblings and family, and frequent moves---that are likely to affect their school attendance and academic performance.29 Without strong advocates to ensure that they are enrolled in school and receive the educational support they need, many foster youth will have a difficult time becoming actively engaged in school life and learning.
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