Children in the foster care system have typically already survived significant trauma or abuse, but as they grow older and approach aging out of the system, they face even more difficult odds. Children who reach 18 and adulthood in the foster care system without being adopted or having any family or mentor of their own have staggeringly high rates of imprisonment, homelessness, alcohol and substance abuse, and a myriad of other problems.
Children in the foster care system, or with a history of abuse and neglect, are at higher risk of being trapped in the Cradle to Prison Pipeline, the path by which the chances of an individual one day ending up in prison can be predicted based on factors present in his or her childhood, which make that child much more likely to end up incarcerated as an adult. Poverty is the largest driving force of the Cradle to Prison Pipeline crisis, as defined by the Children's Defense Fund.
In Texas, among all children, 1 in 4 (24.9 percent or 1,548,069) was poor. A baby is born poor every five minutes in the state:
o A Black baby is born poor every 32 minutes.
o A Latino baby is born poor every seven minutes.
o A White, non-Latino baby is born poor every 33 minutes.
o An American Indian/Alaska Native baby is born poor every 20 hours.
o An Asian baby is born poor every nine hours.
Other factors that significantly impact the odds of a child entering the Cradle to Prison Pipeline include lack of early childhood education, poor education received later, disadvantaged health care, experienced violence, and simply being a person of color. Children in the foster care system often experience one or more of these factors, as well as losing their birth home and parents, and dealing with the trauma of abuse or neglect. These children are desperately in need of a family to call their own. They are in danger of falling through the cracks and being lost forever without one.
Recently, Dr. Tracy Eilers, a friend of mine and director of The Heart Gallery, sent me the following information about a boy, Jarod, who is about to age out of the foster care system and has almost given up hope on a family to call his own. The prospects for kids who age out of the system are grim.
Article comments
1 - Val Stilwell MSCS
Organizations can help by utilizing technology - help, instruction, and training can all be delivered to kids before they age out by using media rich, interactive technology. Online training is available as we speak. Learning how to find apartments, jobs, manage money, cook, social skills, dealing with anger, and much more is available for these kids. - inexpensively too. The social work world has got to rethink its approach to traditional methods and incorporate online programs to help these kids.
Foster resource homes have a first time failure rate of 47-62% because the foster parents don't get topic specific behavioral training when they need it the most. Kids are placed in their homes with tough behavioral challenges. Agencies can provide immediate, specific training to foster parents - the same day they place a child.. the parents learn techniques, the kids get understood and the jumping from home to home slows down.
Using technology, kids can come with directions. There's simply no excuse today to not have information available when it's needed the most - not in today's techonolocially able world.
2 - Needham Mayes
There is a dire need to assist these children. How can we help? [Personal contact info deleted] We are a community of social services providers.
The Sabaoth Group. Mrs. Anita Taylor is President.
3 - Mildred
Needham Mayes
You're an a**. You made it clear that you need dire need. Remember this if nothing else the World is round and what you ditch out comes back to you. You must be one of those people that are complaining all the time and wondering why Bad things continue to happen to you. Read your statement again and YOU will know why you feel unlucky.
4 - Angela Nash
We are writing a book on the subject of orphans and children of the foster care system. With a portion of the proceeds from our book we will build transitional homes across the U.S for those who have aged out but still need assistance. We are looking for stories to complete our book. Is there anyone out there willing to share their story? [Personal contact info deleted]
5 - Needham Mayes
You are not talking about this Needham Mayes
All I have done was advocate for social services for this needy population in which I have supervised
6 - Needham Mayes
Hi, Mildred,
What are you talking about?I have assisted and supervised others and was asked for information to help this population, but, why am I even responding to your ignorance?
[Personal contact info deleted]
Needham Mayes,LCSW,PHD