Aging Out - Fostering Advocates Arizona

Aging Out of Care: The Beauty

June 12, 2019 by FAAZWebAdmin Leave a Comment

Lori, Mentor and Sora, Young Adult Leadership Board Member

I entered foster care at the age of 15. Like most youth who enter care as a teenager, I bounced around to many placements. As a trans-youth, it was especially hard for me to build connections and find a placement where I would be accepted. DCS struggled to continue to find me new placements. It got so bad that I had to spend my 17th birthday sleeping in an office building because they couldn’t find a placement for me. Fortunately, around this time I entered the THRIVE program and was paired with my mentor, Lori, who provided me with much-needed support to help me as I transitioned out of care.

THRIVE is a mentorship program offered through Arizona’s Children Association. It is designed to provide support to youth ages 16 to 21 who have or will be transitioning out of foster care. THRIVE works with young adults to match them with a mentor based off on their interests.

Lori was not my first mentor in this program. Before her, I was paired with a man who ended up being removed from the THRIVE program because he was not helping the youth who he mentored. When I was told they had a new mentor for me, I was very apprehensive. Like many teens in care, I had trouble trusting that someone was there for me. THRIVE thankfully has a trial period to make it easy for youth to decide that a mentor is or is not a good fit, so I took a leap of faith and met Lori, who has since changed my life.

Lori and I were not the perfect pair when we first met. I thought Lori was loud and obnoxious, and she didn’t understand what it meant to be trans. We disagreed on a lot of things, but we both stuck it out and got through the adjustment period, and she since has become a significant support in my life.

I disrupted from a placement at 17, just a couple months before my 18th birthday. Lori took legal custody over me to make sure I could get back on my feet and has continued to be there for me ever since then. She helps me when I need guidance on things like housing or education, and even if we disagree, I know I always have someone I can reach out to and that Lori will set any disputes aside to be there for me. We celebrate holidays together, Lori and her partner take me out for my birthdays, something I never celebrated while in care, and they treat me like family. Young adults in care may have a lot of support from DCS workers, and other program staff, but we all want that personal relationship that a mentor provides. I am will always be grateful for having Lori in my life to provide just that.

This blog was written by Sora, Young Adult Leadership Board Member for FAAZ. You can read more about Sora here.

Aging Out of Care: The Challenges

May 14, 2019 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

As most youth approach their 18th birthday, they are excited about new independence. As an “adult”, they may feel ready to make their own decisions, but they also know they can still rely on their family for their support. For youth in foster care, turning 18 is most often overwhelming. The services and guidance they have relied on, can easily come to an end. Without legal permanency, these young adults find themselves faced with the possibility of not having the people or supports that can help guide them as they transition to becoming an adult in this complicated world. Having someone to provide guidance, support, and practice with decision making can certainly help make this transition easier.

For me, I was in and out of foster care my entire life. I experienced every placement type imaginable, but I never found a family or place to call home. Instead, I became one of the 900 or so young adults in Arizona who age out of foster care every year. At age 18, I was suddenly responsible for myself with no one else really accountable to ME to help me safely find my way. I had to learn how to handle things the right way on my own.

DCS had “prepared” me for this transition in only a few days leading up to my birthday. Everything was a blur as I struggled to learn and obtain the needed knowledge and skills that were suddenly my responsibility. I wanted to slow things down, but we had to stick to the schedule based on a judge’s ruling, not on my needs. On paper, I had multiple people whose job it was to support me, but at the end of the day, I had no one that I had a real personal connection with. Suddenly I was 18 and on my own.

Without someone to guide me through life, I struggled to obtain my legal documents, navigate new insurance coverage, and enroll in supportive programs. I eventually found work, but without interview practice or guidance on my resume, it was far from easy. These were just some of the skills I had been expected to learn in just a few days. I was doing my best to survive, but I was also still a teenager and still learning, making mistakes, and taking risks, but I had to guide myself through these life decisions, and unfortunately, this didn’t always work out for me.

While this transition comes with challenges for everyone, having someone there to support and guide me could have made a big difference. At age 18, I was focused on being independent and having enough money to support myself, so I worked two jobs while going to school. I wish someone had worked with me on my plans for the future. They could have taught me the importance of an education and told me to prioritize school while I still received some assistance through various programs. For me, the hardest part of transitioning out of care is changing your mindset to be an adult and learning to be your own support system and your own motivation. Someone could have impacted my life by continuing to be my support system, motivating and encouraging me, during this time.

If you’re looking for someone to provide support in your life, check out our page on how to find a mentor.

—FAAZ Board Member: Rayanna

Supporting the Transition to Adulthood

September 17, 2018 by FAAZ Blog Leave a Comment

As most children approach age 18, they are excited about new independence and freedoms. For youth in foster care, their 18^th birthday is often a time when the services they relied on the most to survive, come to an end. For many, they lose their support system and find themselves on their own without any connections. With the correct guidance, resources, and connections, this time could be easier for youth in foster care. As a foster parent, you can help ease this transition.

I entered foster care at age 15. Like most older youth, I was first placed in a group home. Fortunately, I was moved to a foster family took after a few months and I stayed with them until was ready to transition. The group home was a difficult place for me to succeed. Due to limited staffing and the desires of the other girls, I often didn’t have time to work on my homework. I also didn’t have access to a computer which made completing many of my assignments quite challenging. This changed when I was placed with a foster family, and later gain admittance to Arizona State University. I was still 17 at the time, and my DCS caseworker was worried about me living in the dorms on my own. With help from my foster parents, I was able to get a judge to sign off on me going straight to ASU and living independently. I also decided to do extended voluntary care and joined the DCS’s Independent Living Program. where I found even more support and resources.

My story is not the norm. Most youth in foster care will not go to college. Many will end up young parents, and many others will end up homeless. I was fortunate enough to have the determination and guidance to succeed. Foster families can help provide this same guidance to the youth they care for.

The first step foster families can take is to care for older youth. Older youth are more likely to be placed in a group care setting vs. family setting. As my story demonstrates, this can be a key factor in a youth succeeding. For me, the group home interfered with my ability to study. Group home restrictions can make it difficult for youth to find jobs and succeed in other areas. Youth may also not receive the individualized guidance they would receive in a family setting.

Foster families should also be informed about the services and resources offered to young adults who have experienced care. The Independent Living Program is one example. Other resources include YATI, tuition waivers, education and training vouchers (ETV), financial literacy training and support through Opportunity Passport™, and more.

Lastly, foster families should recognize, that like a traditional family, the needs of a child do not end at 18. Foster families can continue to stay in contact and offer guidance to youth who have been in their care. My foster family keeps in touch and has invited me to come back for the holidays. While it can still be scary starting out on your own at 18, these simple gestures can help all the difference.

-Nikki, FAAZ YALB member

2018 Policy Recommendations Announcement

March 18, 2018 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

As young people who have experienced foster care, our challenges, strengths and life experiences are the driving force behind our advocacy efforts. Having lived through the obstacles that brought us into care, managing life while in care, and surviving life after care, we understand the hurdles and struggles current and former foster youth face each day.

Over the last several months, we have worked diligently to identify four key priority areas along with recommendations to improve foster care in Arizona. We are excited to announce the publication of our 2018 Policy Recommendations. We urge you to read our personal testimonies on how these priority areas have challenged and affected our lives and join us in taking action to make these changes. We are asking for a seat at the leadership table, and so should you! As experts on foster care, in the coming weeks, months and years ahead we need to provide meaningful ideas and solutions for ALL youth to truly thrive in Arizona.

Breanna Carpenter
Fostering Advocates Arizona
Young Adult Leadership Board Member

Eric’s Opportunity Passport Match!

March 2, 2017 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

As an Arizona State University senior and Nina Mason Pulliam scholar studying engineering management, Eric has a full schedule. With the match savings component of the Opportunity Passport™ program, Eric used his savings for something that would help ease his busy schedule…a car!

With my savings I purchased a Nissan Altima. Having a car helps me be more consistent and reliable for school as well as working a part time job. It allows me to attend various school activities and expands my employment and housing options, as I can look beyond a 2-mile radius. Currently, I am looking for a summer internship and by having a car I don’t feel as confined to a certain area. I finally have more mobility and freedom. Plus, now I can take road trips!”

Eric said he was fortunate to have prior knowledge on savings and budgeting from the group home he lived in. However, the Opportunity Passport™ program expanded on that knowledge. “It helped me figure out the cost of car insurance, the amount I need to save and budget to afford living on my own, as well as how to build financial stability by investing in stocks and bonds.”

Eric’s next goal is to use his savings match towards graduate school! Hear from other young adults like Eric who have purchased assets such as a car, aiding in their goal to independence.

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