Aurora Housing Authority - Colorado’s Post

Shared from The Fostering Collective #FosterCareAwarenessMonth 💙 Sibling Groups: In Texas alone, there are over 6,000 sibling groups navigating the foster care system. Sadly, only 66% of these groups are able to stay together due to a shortage of foster homes equipped to accommodate them. 💙 Therapeutic Care: Children enrolled in the therapeutic foster care program require a heightened level of support due to moderate to significant social, emotional, behavioral, or unmet physical needs. These vulnerable children rely on foster parents who can offer them the nurturing environment they desperately need. 💙 Care of Older Youth: In 2021, AFCARS reported that the average age of a child in foster care was 8. More than half of children were under 10 years old, with 7% less than one year old, and 27% were teenagers.There is a pressing need for families willing to open their hearts and homes to older youth and teenagers, providing stability and support during these critical stages of development. To see how you can be a part of supporting children in foster care, visit our website to find your fit: https://lnkd.in/ghBD_hJx

Check out this story from KING 5 about SB 5908 (Extended Foster Care) and how it will support young people as they transition into adulthood: https://lnkd.in/geTpEkHd This bill has been a long time coming, and there is still much work to be done. Support the future work of young advocates so that more policies can be created to help transform foster care and end youth homelessness. Make your gift of support today: https://lnkd.in/gzg6uieg

It’s National Foster Care Month! The children in our foster care system deserve a better hand than the one they’ve been dealt. That’s why I was proud to be joined by leaders across San Diego in kicking off National Foster Care Month and declaring “Wear Blue Day”. Every 1 in 4 foster youth will go homeless by age 25 after exiting care, Black and Brown children make up 30% of the 390,000 kids in foster care federally, and in San Diego County 80% of Black children do not reunify with any member of their family of origin. @pajmovement is leading the foster care reform efforts to address these disparities through policy change. We are working to cut the foster care to homelessness pipeline in half by pushing for more transitional housing for our foster youth who are exiting the system, expanding cultural competency within the system from the administrative levels to the programs that engage foster children who are disproportionately Black and Brown, and working to expand guaranteed income programs for foster youth nationally because receiving help should not have stigma attached to it. Every county across America has a responsibility to these kids and we will work to remind them of that every day. Wear a blue ribbon or some kind of blue this month in honor of our foster youth. #nationalfostercaremonth #fostercareawareness #fosteryouthmatter #fosteryouthvoicesmatter #fightforfosterkids

An important read. https://lnkd.in/gquaFzBF

Ensuring access to stable housing and consistent health care for transition-age foster youth is essential for their successful transition into adulthood. Recent guidance released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services emphasizes the significance of programs that provide essential support to young adults leaving or transitioning out of foster care.   Approximately 20,000 youth exit foster care annually and experience higher rates of homelessness and housing instability. Ensuring a holistic support system across education, health care, housing and more, will equip them with the tools and resources needed to succeed.   Learn more about the HHS guidance here: https://bit.ly/4a404X9

As a child ages out of the foster care system, most are entering a three-fold pipeline toward: 1. homelessness 2. prison 3. child trafficking. It's hard to explain how difficult it is for youth without family and state support to survive. "There are approximately 60,000 children in the state’s foster care system. According to the Fostering Futures fact sheet, 93 percent of the foster community wants to attend college, but only 4 percent will obtain their bachelor’s degree by 26 years old, compared to 50 percent of the same age that are not in foster care. The program 'serves to both increase the likelihood that foster youth can reach their educational goals and also better prepare them to enter the next stage of their lives, whether that involves pursuing an advanced degree or entering directly into their chosen career path, by providing the opportunity to begin their next chapter debt-free from higher education.'” Let's work together around the country to make it more possible for vulnerable youth to succeed as they enter emerging adulthood! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dMiK_ECi #helpchildren #family #fostercare #children #vulnerable #yatom #activism #foster #helpkids #adopt #california

Foster Care in Virginia: A Call to Action! Did you know that over 5,000 children are currently in foster care in Virginia? These young lives are filled with potential, and they need our support to thrive. 📊Key Statistics: -5,500+ children are in the foster care system. -50% of these children are between the ages of 12 and 18. - Each year, around 600 kids age out of the system without finding a permanent home. Every child deserves a loving and stable environment. You can make a difference by becoming a foster parent, volunteering, or simply spreading awareness. Together, we can ensure that every child in Virginia has the chance to grow up in a nurturing home. 🌟 Learn more about how you can help: https://lnkd.in/eqyakCqc #FosterCare #TherapeuticFosterCare #HopeTree #Virginia #EveryChildMatters #SupportOurYouth #MakeADifference

#FosterCareAwareness >~25,000 youth age out of the foster care system each year >After reaching the age of 18, 20% of the children who were in foster care will become instantly homeless >25% of former foster youth experience homelessness within 4 years of aging out >50% of the unhoused population in the US are former foster youth #Reforms >The Federal Government must appropriate funding to construct Independent Living Centers (ILCs) in each state equipped to house 500 emancipated foster youth and aged-out young adults. Residents of these ILCs will receive free housing for 2 years along with services such as educational assistance, vocational help, and life skills trainings. >If ILC is at capacity, emancipated foster youth or aged-out young adults will receive immediate assistance to secure a lease in a safe neighborhood of youth's desired city. The youth will receive a monthly housing payment assistance stipend based on the median rent in the youth’s city of residence. This monthly stipend can be utilized until the age of 23. #Homelessness #Solutions #HousingForAll #HousingIsAHumanRight