From Foster Care to the Streets: Why the System Is Failing Our Youth
Imagine turning 18, and instantly being kicked out of your house. You have no support system, no financial support, and no idea how to survive on your own.
This is the case for thousands of young adults in California as they “age out” of foster care, which means they turn 18 and are suddenly expected to survive adulthood on their own. No safety net. No family. No place to call home.
The system has set these young adults up for failure, because the result is visible to us everywhere on the streets in California, but specifically here in Los Angeles County. 31% of foster youth in California will face homelessness by the age of 26 (Alternative Family Services). Nearly 1 in 3 emancipated foster youth, who were once under state protection, are now living on the streets, couch surfing, or living out of their cars.
The housing crisis is not just a housing issue, but a systemic failure.
For many foster youth, the trauma starts early. Being removed from their homes, shuffled between placements, and often lacking the consistent support any child needs. When they leave care, they face the world with no guidance, no credit history, no savings, and in many cases untreated mental health struggles.
They are expected to figure it all out alone, and for many that leads to homelessness.
- 50% of the homeless population across the country have spent time in the foster care system (National Foster Youth Institute).
- Only 3% of former foster youth earn a college degree (National Foster Youth Institute).
- 50% of foster youth are unemployed by age 24 (California Department of Social Services).
These are only a couple of the eye-opening statistics about the foster care system. These statistics are heartbreaking, but they are not just numbers, they are people. A young adult who deserved better.
This is where The RightWay Foundation steps in, where our main goal is to support transition-age foster youth so they can break the cycle. At The RightWay Foundation we use a holistic approach rooted in our four pillars: housing, employment, mental health, and community.
YOU can be part of the RightWay family by supporting us this Foster Care Awareness Month, and here’s how: Donate: We subsidize $600 of a youth’s rent through Operation Housing First, so if we can get 600 people to donate JUST $1, together we can get one homeless foster youth off the streets and into their own apartment. Join our advocacy campaign: Use your voice to fight for policy change. Share the message: Use the hashtag #EndFosterHomelessness to help raise awareness.
Foster youth don’t need our pity, they need opportunity, respect, and real investment in their futures. At The RightWay Foundation, we’re building that future. But we can’t do it alone.
Join us this May and help us break the cycle. Together, we can move youth from foster care to bright futures.