In 2014 a child entered foster care every two minutes (Statistics, 2014). Out of the four-hundred thousand children in foster care, twenty percent of those are teenagers between the ages of sixteen and twenty (Helping Youth, 2013). Out of that twenty percent, one in five teenagers will essentially emancipate or sign them out of care if they are not adopted before the age of eighteen leaving many jobless, homeless, throwing away education, and with very little independent living skills (Helping Youth, 2013). As well, once a teen is no longer in foster care any services they may have been receiving are completely stopped; in addition, they are also left without health insurance. This is particularly alarming since statistically speaking, foster
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Sadly, that is the reality for many foster care youth, and often with an additional layer of hopelessness and neglect when aging out of services. Many teens in foster care find adverse ways of coping with their situations; such as recreational drugs or underage drinking. Teens in foster care are more likely that any other group of youths to experiment with drinking and drugs and foster care youth is seven times more likely to abuse alcohol, five times more likely to develop post traumatic stress disorder and twenty-five percent will experience homelessness (Statistics, 2014). Without proper mental health care and guidance, these issues will continue to stack upon each other and exponentially grow. In one study completed, youth in foster care were three times more likely to consider committing suicide and four times more likely to actually attempt an act of suicide than youth that has never been in foster care (Increased Risk, n.d.). All of these reasons and so many more are why a program such as Teens on Top could be so successful. Although imaginary, it takes everything a foster care youth aging out of foster care needs to be successful and presents it to them in one, neat package. It pairs behavior specialists, life coaches, local counseling agencies to provide psychological and coping services, financial counselors, employment guidance, and an online forum for peer support in hopes of helping these teenagers become successful, thriving
Sadly, that is the reality for many foster care youth, and often with an additional layer of hopelessness and neglect when aging out of services. Many teens in foster care find adverse ways of coping with their situations; such as recreational drugs or underage drinking. Teens in foster care are more likely that any other group of youths to experiment with drinking and drugs and foster care youth is seven times more likely to abuse alcohol, five times more likely to develop post traumatic stress disorder and twenty-five percent will experience homelessness (Statistics, 2014). Without proper mental health care and guidance, these issues will continue to stack upon each other and exponentially grow. In one study completed, youth in foster care were three times more likely to consider committing suicide and four times more likely to actually attempt an act of suicide than youth that has never been in foster care (Increased Risk, n.d.). All of these reasons and so many more are why a program such as Teens on Top could be so successful. Although imaginary, it takes everything a foster care youth aging out of foster care needs to be successful and presents it to them in one, neat package. It pairs behavior specialists, life coaches, local counseling agencies to provide psychological and coping services, financial counselors, employment guidance, and an online forum for peer support in hopes of helping these teenagers become successful, thriving