The Need for Proper Resources for Post-Placement Youths All over the world, individuals and families are faced with the harsh and often sad reality that not all parents are able to care for their children. Although this reality is hard to face, the foster care system is in place to provide help and support during this time. Foster care helps children in situations where they cannot be cared for by their biological parents. Numerous reasons can lead to a child being placed in the system; however, no matter the reason, each situation displays the need for an alternative care system. Now that the foster care system is in place to provide immediate help to struggling families, the need for resources and support upon exiting the foster care system
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This transition usually comes when the individual turns eighteen; however, in a few states, under special circumstances, there is extended care through the age of twenty-one (Richards 20). Within foster care, members of the system are faced with a great amount of instability. As a result, the transition from life in foster care to life on their own can be extremely challenging. The term “aging out” is often used to define individuals that are exiting the foster care system. Legally speaking, aging out describes “youth ages 18 years and older who are no longer eligible to remain in foster care and who receive related state services or have chosen to leave the system” (Paul-Ward and Lambdin-Pattavina 2). However, just because an individual is old enough to age out of the foster care system, it does not mean that they are ready to do so. People that were in foster care often face many set backs upon leaving the system. This occurs as a result of the lack of resources that they are provided with, as well as the barriers and instability that they often …show more content…
However, these programs are drastically under used. One of the greatest challenges that many of these individuals face comes with finances, both banking and budgeting. First off, “most youth leaving foster care do not have a bank account”, but even more than that, many of them have “reported having difficulties with budgeting” (Paul-Ward and Lambdin-Pattavina 3). The struggles that these people are facing with housing, finances, and other day to day needs like education and jobs opportunities, could be alleviated if the right kinds of support were offered to them both prior to and upon aging out. A resource that has recently come into discussion as a form of support for struggling individuals whom age out of the foster care system is occupational therapy. Occupational therapy practitioners have traditionally not been a part of foster care programs. However, if they do become a part of the system in the years to come, they “are ideally suited to address [the] needs” that foster children and youths face (Paul-Ward and Lambdin-Pattavina 3). Occupational therapy could play a vital role in helping the progress of individuals who have aged out of the system. It is “based on the understanding that meaningful occupations and activities, with their inherent power to maintain, restore, and transform one’s
This transition usually comes when the individual turns eighteen; however, in a few states, under special circumstances, there is extended care through the age of twenty-one (Richards 20). Within foster care, members of the system are faced with a great amount of instability. As a result, the transition from life in foster care to life on their own can be extremely challenging. The term “aging out” is often used to define individuals that are exiting the foster care system. Legally speaking, aging out describes “youth ages 18 years and older who are no longer eligible to remain in foster care and who receive related state services or have chosen to leave the system” (Paul-Ward and Lambdin-Pattavina 2). However, just because an individual is old enough to age out of the foster care system, it does not mean that they are ready to do so. People that were in foster care often face many set backs upon leaving the system. This occurs as a result of the lack of resources that they are provided with, as well as the barriers and instability that they often …show more content…
However, these programs are drastically under used. One of the greatest challenges that many of these individuals face comes with finances, both banking and budgeting. First off, “most youth leaving foster care do not have a bank account”, but even more than that, many of them have “reported having difficulties with budgeting” (Paul-Ward and Lambdin-Pattavina 3). The struggles that these people are facing with housing, finances, and other day to day needs like education and jobs opportunities, could be alleviated if the right kinds of support were offered to them both prior to and upon aging out. A resource that has recently come into discussion as a form of support for struggling individuals whom age out of the foster care system is occupational therapy. Occupational therapy practitioners have traditionally not been a part of foster care programs. However, if they do become a part of the system in the years to come, they “are ideally suited to address [the] needs” that foster children and youths face (Paul-Ward and Lambdin-Pattavina 3). Occupational therapy could play a vital role in helping the progress of individuals who have aged out of the system. It is “based on the understanding that meaningful occupations and activities, with their inherent power to maintain, restore, and transform one’s