Helping Foster Kids Launch

Chart showing comparison of outcomes for foster youth to similar young adults Investigate West published awesome investigative journalism on what happens to foster children when they “age out” of our system at age 18. As a parent I’m quite proud of my kids who are both in the 19-21 age group. They are in the process of separating from their parental units and require less and less intervention every year. To think that they would hit the ground running at 18, even with a strong family background is crazy, but that’s what we typically do with these young people, young people without, by definition, a strong family background.

Yesterday we passed a bill (HB 1302) out of Appropriations that continues to work on extending our foster care supports in the 18-21 year old range if the young people are involved in positive behaviors, an incentive that helps these kids, kids who are totally dependent on the state, get the education and stability they need to do something productive with their lives.

 

Author: Ross

I am the Director of the Department of Early Learning for Washington State. I formerly represented the 48th Legislative District in the State House of Representatives, chairing the Appropriations committee and spent many a year at Microsoft.