More than 23,000 children will age out of the US foster care system every year. After reaching the age of 18, 20% of the children who were in foster care will become instantly homeless. Only half of those that age out will find some sort of employment by the time they are 24 years old. Those statistics haunt me. They should bother you, too. That's why when someone told me that older fosters are just, "too old for parents," I almost lost every ounce of cool I own. Originally posted as a microblog for Houston Moms Blog: It’s not unusual for someone to ask me a question about foster care in casual conversation once they find out we are involved in the system. I don’t mind, in fact, I welcome questions. We are by no means seasoned veterans so I don’t always have answers, but conversations can lead to actions and others getting involved in helping kiddos and families so absolutely, bring it on! But, there I was in one such conversation when I heard the statement {not an uncommon one} that just sent my brain straight to boil, “Some kids are just too old to still need parents.” Ex-friggin-cuse me? Someone give me a Q-tip because I’m certain I misheard you. Well, let me ask you, when did you stop needing your mom? Did you call her last week when you didn’t know how to get the sharpie off of the bathtub or when your daughter sunk a basket at the tournament? I thought so. I still remember when my mom had to explain to my college-age sister that she had to wash the rug in her bathroom or helped my husband and I move into our first home. Her face, when she went wedding dress shopping with both of her daughters, is burned into my memory. My dad hung my curtains in my first apartment and took us to buy a car. We all still migrate to their house at Christmas.
And for those of you who have healthy family dynamics, I’m sure you have many of the same stories. For teens in foster care, they often worry about life after the system. Where will they go and who will care about them? Statistically, many end up homeless, incarcerated or repeating the cycle of having children in foster care. There’s no one to push them to attend college, accomplish goals in life, come home to at Thanksgiving, or share life’s highs and lows with. I don’t know about you, but one of my greatest fears is facing the day when I have to figure out this life without the guidance of my parents. So yes, while it may be a little harder {and I’m not saying everyone is equipped for it}, no one is too old to need parents. Not even foster teens. Let’s help close the gap. And let’s begin with our mindset. xoxo Click here to be a part of our foster adoption journey!
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AuthorWriting is really my outlet, so you'll mostly see my prose on here. But William might occasionally make a guest appearance. Archives
May 2021
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