A Rough Start
Compared to their general population peers, youth exiting foster care are more likely to drop out of school, become parents before they are ready, experience homelessness or end up in jail.
This two-page infographic highlights the steep consequences of stopping foster care at 18 and offers a promising solution: extending high-quality, developmentally-appropriate services to age 21. It is a product of Success Beyond 18, a national campaign by the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative aimed at forging a better path for youth who are exiting foster care and entering adulthood.
The cost of maintaining the current foster care finish line? It’s devastating, and adds up to nearly $8 billion each year. Otherwise put: citizens and communities are paying $300,000 in taxpayer-funded costs for every young person who ages out of foster care at 18.