Teens and Aging Out – Education

Aging Out Institute -Provides resources to youth and foster care parents and organizations to help smooth the process of aging out of the system. Check out their search form to look for folks doing relevant work near you. They’re also launching a membership program in 2018 that will get you access to webinars, white papers, and reports on the state of aging out.

Casey Life Skills Assessment-This test created by the Casey Foundation helps foster youth and kids aging out to get a sense of where they are with their life skills and what areas need improvement. The test can be taken on your own or with the supervision of a mental health counselor, teacher, or social worker. 

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute– Although this organization’s primary objective is to advocate for foster and adopted youth at the federal level, they also offer Foster Youth Internships in which young adults spend a summer researching, developing, and writing a policy report to be shared at a congressional briefing and with advocacy groups across the US. Click here to apply.

Financial Empowerment Toolkit for Youth and Young Adults in Foster Care – This pamphlet was created by the National Resource Center for Youth Development, a branch of the US Children’s Bureau. Although the pamphlet is mostly aimed at providers, they also have youth- and young adult-focused materials on checking your credit score, getting insurance, filing taxes, and protecting yourself from identity theft.

Foster Care to Success – This nonprofit provides programming and resources to help foster youth succeed in their education. Some of their programs include academic success coaching, scholarship and grant offerings, care packages for college students, and education training vouchers to help offset the cost of college tuition. Check out their Knowledge Center for more helpful resources, studies, and a list of other organizations for foster youth.

Healthy Foster Care America – HFCA is a program from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Their online resource center has information including on how to sign up for Medicaid and a state-by-state list of primary care providers. They also have resources like this activity book to help young children understand foster care.

Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative –  A program by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, this initiative provides opportunities and support for foster youth aging out of care. Their Opportunity Passport is a savings-matching and financial education program that helps foster youth save up for important assets like housing, transportation, and other necessities. They also release regular reports and guidebooks on the foster care and building basic life skills.

Know Before You Go –This site is a collaboration between the Alliance for Children’s Rights and the Children’s Law Center and offers detailed information for foster youth who are about to age out of care. There are sections on work, school, housing, legal rights, money, health, and more. They’ve also got an app that provides easy access to their resources, plus they launched a web series where current and former foster youth share their stories and life skills with one another.

National Foster Youth Institute – NFYI advocates for foster youth and delivers services to empower and educate kids and young adults in the foster care system. Their three main programs are the Leadership Corps which trains foster youth to become community leaders, the Job Shadowing and Internship program which helps members prepare to enter the workforce, and the Shadow Day Program where foster youth follow members of Congress in D.C.

Ready to Succeed – This LA-based organization provides continuing support to former foster youth enrolled in colleges in California. Their programming includes career counseling, mentorship, workshops and career days, access to paid internships, and executive coaching on par with programs offered to Fortune 500 execs.

Teen Parent – Funded by the Public Counsel, the Alliance for Children’s Rights, and the Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles, Teen Parent provides education and resources for foster youth who are pregnant and the folks who support them. In addition to pregnancy-related advice, they have a bunch of great articles and resources on other issues like employment and housing, LGBTQIA+ issues, health care, and sex and relationships.

U.S. Department of Education (DOE) – The DOE hosts a web page specifically to highlight government and other educational resources for foster youth. One of their most useful offerings is their free Foster Care Transition Toolkit, a pamphlet that encourages foster youth to pursue college and careers, and provides guidance on basic life skills like budgeting, finding housing, and managing health and financial concerns. 

Youth.gov – The federal government’s website devoted to youth issues offers a specific section on Transition and Aging Out for foster youth. Their resources tab has many different options and ideas for pursuing further education, careers, and finding stable housing.