One would think knowing aging out is fast approaching, they would do a better job of preparing for that day. It appears that that isn't the case however.

Self inflicted misery is always good for a sob story and some public assistance.

it never ceases to amaze me how people who have never experienced a situation have the most comments on it. I "aged out", and let me tell you, the emotional anxiety of knowing you have no idea where to go, how to budget bills, a checkbook, anything is what you are preparing for. You are scared and have to move through it or fall. It's hard to get jobs because you don't have the best social skills, (especially if you where in foster care from a young age until your teen years). it took me 4 years of mistakes and being homeless for two of them, for me to learn what it meant to "grow" up. But i guess you are like the true meaning of your name DJINN, just sucking positive from people with uninformed and biased opinions.....

Im am suggesting that we back up abit and look at how we are prepping the teen aging out foster youth. These young people live in a survival mode most of the time. Helping them to see that they do have control of the decisions they make is empowering for them. Teaching Healthy Relationship Programming is one way to do this.
dixie7

I was going to try and remain civil, but the hell with it - up yours, Djinn.

Seriously. What a jerk.

I'll take that as a compliment. Let me know when you come up with a solution that involves only your money. You're just too eager to spend someone else's money on a problem that only one person can cure. The cure is actually free, but involves a personal commitment to making good choices and no amount of money can instill that.

I think the language used to guide these kids is lacking.

"Healthy Relationship Programming"?? Really? "Programming".
"Empowering" one of the most boring and overused words ever.

Let's help these kids mature, and grow up. I don't disagree with some type of funding until age 21, especially if they are enrolled in a college or technical trade school.

But let's not teach them to be non-independent victims, taught from an early age that they need to be "programmed" or "empowered". YE GODS.

Let's also keep DSHS as far away from these kids as possible. That agency needs to be disbanded, it is too far beyond repair. The monumental amount of money wasted at DSHS could be spent in far superior ways to help many categories of need.

I have read this article twice; it's bothersome in (at least) two ways. One, the author reports that the uncle and grandfather accepted aid for (at least) several years and then cut ties with the granddaughter/niece. Isn't that worth commenting on? why did that happen? did the author talk to anyone other than Sharayah? Then it is presented as a given that the State is the default protector/supporter of all troubled children (up to age 18 and, it is suggested, beyond). Conservatives have argued for generations that helping troublesome people is best left to the population that knows them, knows their needs, their problems and their potential, i.e., their families, their extended families, friends, the families of friends, churches. I think the conservatives are right. A check writing bureaucracy may make us feel good (noble even) but does it do Sharayah any good? does it make her a part of a family again? it doesn't sound like it.

family is a funny word, and in reality it's what they can get from you living there, check, foodstamps, tax incentives... it's not just the kids we need to look at, as a former foster kid, i KNOW the foster parents need better screening and more dedicated social workers, there is a HUGE shortage of social workers for these kids, it needs to be stepped up all around....

I think the point here is that we *are* spending money on these kids after they age out of the foster care system. We're spending a lot of money incarcerating them. Could we save money and maybe also do a better job of looking out for these kids if we continued their benefits until they're closer to actual adulthood?

It seems to me that if churches and families were able to care for every child, then we wouldn't have or need a foster care system. It's hard to imagine any child opting for foster care if they had other alternatives.

Djinn: These are teens who have had no support, been bounced from home to home, and little opportunity to learn the life skills our own children take for granted. You can blame their parents and families all you want, but are you that cold-hearted that you want to just turn them out on the street penniless and tell them to fend for themselves?

And don't you think that without any support it's likely we'll be seeing them again in our court system or in jail? How much do you think THAT will cost?

Or do you even think before posting your neocon rants?

Thanks for posting - this would have been my "civil" response to Djinn, had his blathering merited such.