by KYW's Dr. Marciene Mattleman

The majority of kids, 18-24, still live with their parents and receive financial and moral support from their families. Foster kids, however, don’t have that advantage; they’re expected to become independent and make it on their own at 18.

This disconnect between what we know about the transition to adulthood and how we structure our child welfare has significant implications for youth’s educational and career opportunities, general health and well being.

There are approximately 1200 young people in the foster care system age 17 and older in Philadelphia. Almost half don’t graduate from high school. About 300-500 will age-out of the system without a family.

Research shows that youth raised in foster care are aging out into homelessness, reliance on public assistance and incarceration. Only 20% enter college and college completion rates range between 1 and 9%.

A new report by the Juvenile Law Center advocates for re-thinking the foster care system by providing more stable relationships with families with greater expectations and consistent support for these young people, who’ve experienced hard times.