Do you believe that foster care youth should have free education/health care until they reach the age of 25?

-KISSES-12

nooooo

mara l

if the system can prove that 90 percent of those kids will be successful in life and not ending up in jail which cost taxpayers about 70k a year so what do you think

Big Black

No because poor families would abuse the system.

sweetie

I believe they deserve some kind of college scholarship but not until they are 25 yrs old. Sorry but I think that others would qualify for the free education as well and have it just as bad if not worst then some foster children who don't get to go to school because they don't have the money and want a education.

Squishy0405

Short answer: No.

Foster children are NOT the only ones who have "had a hard life". The factor should be based on actual need, not background, race, religion, etc. I also agree that this type of system would be defrauded by greedy people. I do not think 25 is appropriate, as that is well into the realm of adulthood.

There should be programs available to all persons, of all ages, needing assistance to succeed, such as homework/tutoring help and medical care. But until we can help ourselves first, such programs would be a waste.

loves christmas lights

If they are never adopted and live in facilities and not homes it would be a nice idea. If adopted then its their draw of the luck of those who are kind enough to take them in and provide for them what they can. Just because someones in foster care, doesnt mean they are owed more than any other child in life. Its sad when kids have to go into foster care, but its the kids who never get into a home that should be considered for that kind of special process of further education etc.

Damitra

I actually know of a situation where a child that was in Foster Care till the age of 18. He was with the same foster family for a long time. He was still a senior in high school and suddenly homeless. No one helped him to start a college fund or even prepare for this day. So, something should be done to help people that age out of foster care system. I would say free health insurance would be quite beneficial and a housing allowance. Some sort of educational assistance, partial grants, guaranteed student loan program or savings plan would be beneficial. A free ride to college is a little extreme.

Spotty-Dotty

Yes, but it should be means tested...As if, if the child (well adult seeing they're over 18) has a stable job, wages and place to live then no.

cricketlady

I believe 21 is an appropriate cut-off age as long as the adult is still in school or pursuing some type of training.

gypsywinter

""I actually know of a situation where a child that was in Foster Care till the age of 18. He was with the same foster family for a long time. He was still a senior in high school and suddenly homeless.""

O! so I am assuming ...once the *check* stopped coming in, these *loving,caring* foster parents gave the 18 yr old the boot! That is disgusting and inhumane.

I know you are asking specifically about foster children only...but I simply cannot answer that way. Healthcare..period...should be a *human right*, not an age specific right or class right. Education as well should be a *human right* for those who choose to pursue their educations. Healthcare (including mental, dental and eye) and Education in America is not a *human right*, but rather a *class privilege*..or more specifically how many $$$$ are in one's pocket or in the pockets of the parents, or how high their credit ratings are so that they can borrow tons of money from a bank and start their own indebtness at relatively young ages..whether the young person themself, the bio, adopted or foster parent.

Our system stinks all the way around....

Opedial

It is not enough and we can't assume that education is the best choice for each child. Some foster children, FASD etc. maybe job skills is moore important and assisted living.

Of course you know here we have free health care for all so that is good.

Education is a start, but it goes deeper. Independent living is a huge thing without family supports, and there needs to be transitions including a multitude of supports including who their resources are, their made fmaily etc. etc. etc.

Rosie

Oh my goodness YES! I also feel that they should be allowed to stay in foster care till 21. I don't know many 18 year olds who can manage to get through college without support from a family. It happens but being able to stay in care till through college would be such a big help in producing healthy adults.

Even the ones who are not going on to college could use the extra time to make up educational deficits that may have occurred as a side effect from being in care or moved around too much.

Many could use the extra time in therapy and extra guidance as well.

We really do not do good by our young children in care.

CDraBella

I always wonder, when I read some of the answers that don't believe in extending a hand and helping others, what kind of reality they have lived in their lives.

My answer is most definitely we should help them in so many ways that they are being cheated out of now.

It should be a must to provide for foster care youth who age out of the system. Helping them now create a better future for themselves is the best thing that can be done. Give them the skills, the training, the support while they are still young to become the best they can be for their future.

I can think of many areas where my tax dollars are wasted that I don't agree with. But this would be one of those areas that I would gladly give what I could, knowing it is serving the true purpose of offering help to those who truly need it and guiding them in the right direction before they get lost all together.

Crystal

in Australia we (foster kids) get help until we are 18 then everything stops and we are on our own.
But they help PUSH you in the right direction but if you don't apply yourself; well there's only so much they can do as the young kids in care are the ones that NEED the help the most.
Especially in education.

Wannabe Swan

Looney Tunes stated it perfectly. Thanks for sharing LT.

I am TOTALLY for it.

Jennifer L

Of course.

I also think there should be ongoing medical/mental health assistance for chronic conditions that result from abuse and neglect, including FAS/FAE.

LadyDi

I think it is the minimum that should be done. More support would be better.
I had some problems in my family growing up, so I moved out very young. Without my family's help after that time, I would have wound up either in jail, or having to stay with my drug addicted, abusive boyfriend purely for lack of other options. My potential would have been wasted.
Family is your biggest source of support in your late teens and early 20's. To turn young adults out into the world with NO support system or job skills is just asking for them to fail. I'm sure some will make it on pure grit, but as for a good portion of them, we will wind up paying for public assistance for them, or worst case $49,000 per year to house them in prison. I would rather pay the upfront cost of college, and give them a greater chance of becoming self supporting, tax paying members of society.
BTW, the state of TX has caught on to this; children aged out of foster in TX, as well as special needs children adopted from that state, are given paid tuition at TX public colleges. This helps their foster kids and also helps their special needs children get adopted. Special needs in TX includes older children and sibling groups.

kateiskate is getting married

For sure. But personally, I believe healthcare and education should be free anyway...

I work in payroll and deal a lot with benefits type stuff. It's pretty common these days for young people up to 24 to stay on their parent's health insurance while they are going to school. How would it be fair to not do the same for adult foster people?

kims

In my state the only special program they have for former foster kids is college tuition assistance. The reasoning is that there are already income based programs that provide health insurance, housing assistance, food stamps, heating assistance. The problem is that there's no program to start working with these kids ahead of time to let them know what is out there and guide them through getting the paperwork prepared and submitted. I think assistance to people who age out of foster care should be a separate program and I definitely think free education and health care are useless without housing assistance as well. Oh, and health care should include counselling services, not just physical issues.

Randy B

I don`t necessary believe that 25 is the magic number but I would like to see more done to prepare foster children for the world before they are ``cut loose``.

Why 22 so they could finish highschool at 18 and then have 4 more years for university? Or 20 if they only want to take a 2 year college program?

I guess my point is, I think they would be better served to be prepared as individuals and not with a time frame attached to them. Some may be quite prepared for the world at 18, some may require longer and some still will require much longer...if ever. To set a time limit on it arbitrarily rather then have it as an individual thing based on the foster childs situation and cabilities just has the potential to inadvertently cause more problems I think.

The other thing I wonder about is your contention that emotional and psychological services should be fully covered for adults aging out of foster care because of the trauma they have faced. Well that sounds good as well, and I can`t argue with that on the surface, my question then becomes who will pay for the significant trauma that others face in their lifetime? I know many of my comrades who are suffering significant traumas and emotional distresses over the issues they have seen while deployed in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Ruwanda. Nobody provides them with care other then the most basic of care while they are enrolled in the CF however once they are released as being unfit they are on their own.

I see many serious crime victims who are also suffering with the physical (in some cases) and emotional stresses of the crimes against them. The victims assistance funds and programs available within the Province don`t nearly cover what is required for these people.

While I don`t disagree that psych services and councelling services should be available, I feel that they should be available to all who need them, not just those in the foster programs.

jess b

it should definitely be extended, they've had a hard life.

**********

to all the people who said that we would "abuse the system"? what the hell kind of system is it where we would have to abuse it? why are those things not provided in the first place??? maybe we are not the problem.

like LT said, when a kid ages out we usually have nothing. i had a backpack with some clothes, some change in my pocket, a couple granola bars and a stupid bear that i got from my foster parents when i was 9. i was only there a few months but it was really the only good home i ever had. i still have that bear.

that was it.

i ended up in an abusive relationship because i was scared and didnt know where to go. so i went home with the first guy who would have me and got beat up so bad i landed in the hospital. but i kept going back, because...well...where else was i going to go?

but I'M abusing the system, right?

&*(^!!!!!!!

LinnyG

Absolutely. And yes...til they are 25. Its pretty unusual in today's financial climate, for a kid to get their degree in 4 years. Most kids have to work part time, to help out with college.

monkeykitty83

I do. Many non-fostered kids get help from their parents to go to university and are on their parents' insurance plans into their twenties; foster kids are in the care of the state, so the state should act as their "parent" and help them.

I don't think that by itself is "enough," though. I think it should be one option, but not all kids who age out of foster care will immediately be ready for university or will want to pursue higher education at all. I think counseling services, job training and trades certification, independent living skills courses, parenting courses, and mentoring also need to be available to formerly fostered youth.

They may be in very different situations when they leave care, so I think some flexibility should be possible in responding to their needs. But I do think they need help-- the kind of help most other kids in a wealthy nation can just take for granted.

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