A selection of The Imprint’s most impactful stories from the past year
In Texas, one of the most sought-after options for youth who choose to remain in foster care past the age of 18 are Supervised Independent Living units. Several judges in the state were angered to find out from The Imprint’s reporting that at a time when many foster youth were ending up homeless, dozens of these apartments were available.
“As judges, we’re upset to know that we have 18-year-olds aging out into the street, when we have available spots for housing and DFPS is CHOOSING not to house the very same kids they did not prepare for adulthood,” Travis County District Court Judge Aurora Martinez Jones said in a written response to The Imprint. “DFPS is knowingly sending aged-out foster youth into homelessness.”
The path to stable options after 18 is even more dire for Texas foster youth with severe disabilities. The Imprint obtained a letter written by a child welfare disability specialist, describing how disabled youth are often pushed out of the system at 18 instead of being connected to much-needed support.
“I am constantly told to ‘stay in my lane,’” Gina Magliolo wrote to state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, Gov. Greg Abbott, several judges and a staffer at the Texas Office of Mental Health Coordination. “It is difficult to stay in my lane when I know that these children will be on the streets immediately facing life and death decisions that they can neither comprehend or absorb.”
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, a class-action lawsuit has been filed over the county’s handling of its extended foster care program.
“Far too often, the system designed to protect and safeguard youths’ needs exacerbates their trauma as they are cycled through multiple unsuitable placements, lose contact with siblings and other loved ones, and experience abuse and neglect in foster placements,” states the complaint filed in U.S. District Court on behalf of six foster youth, ages 17 to 20.
Serita Cox, co-founder of iFoster, joined The Imprint Weekly Podcast to discuss findings from her organization’s annual survey that suggest many older youth prefer aging out through extended foster care to adoption or even reunification.
