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Aging Out

This year, dreams of adoption will die for thousands of foster care children. According to Evelyn French with Adoption News, of the 500,000 children in the U.S. foster care system, approximately 20,000 16–year-olds will "age out" and become legally unadoptable.

Few studies have been conducted regarding what happens once these "unadoptables" are kicked out of the foster care nest.  And, information that is available for this "sink or swim" approach is dismal at best.

According to French, approximately 5,000-6,000 of teens who have "aged out" end up living on the streets. Other statistics are also staggering. “Reports show higher rates of teen pregnancy, unemployment, illness, and sexual exploitation (whether it is prostitution or victimization) among emancipated foster children. And, it's estimated that more than 70 percent of people in our penal system have spent time in foster care," says French.

Because these teens are unprepared for life, foster care provides life skills training in hope they will become self-sufficient. Fundamental at best, the classes may not deal with real life issues.

Imagine you are 16 and take a class about how to balance a checkbook.  While you may do very well, once you "age out" you are unable get a job because you don't have an address. You can’t afford an apartment and have no credit background.  Eventually, you are forced to live in substandard housing or on the street. The cycle of destruction escalates from there with illness, a lack of medical care and illegal activity, just to survive.

Some centers in metropolitan areas are attempting to address this crisis by teaching "unadoptables” how to handle life in the real world.  While many of the programs have strict participation guidelines, they are designed to give these teens a positive start on life.

Like these centers, perhaps God is prompting you to be the answer to an older child's adoption dreams.

Rebecca Hartman is an Intern for Focus on the Family's Integrated Campaign Services.

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