funded but forgotten

BY LARISA KARR, GEORGINA HALLOWELL, MODOU NYANG and MEGAN CONN

New York spends more than $700 million on the child welfare system each year, yet youth in foster care still struggle to find a foothold. Just one in three graduates from high school, while one in five will become homeless at some point. Often, young people are left to deal with medical and mental health issues on their own.

The 8,420 youth in foster care in New York are invisible to most New Yorkers. The city’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) contracts with dozens of community agencies, such as the New York Foundling, which manage placements and social services. On their 18th birthday, teenagers can choose to leave the system or stay in it until they turn 21. Each year, more than 700 young people age out of the system.

A handful of nonprofits, like You Gotta Believe, focus on supporting young people who are aging out and connecting them with adults with whom they can have positive relationships. The Fair Futures campaign is calling for another $50 million to fund mentors and coaches for foster youth age 13 to 26. But often, current and former foster youth find themselves navigating a chaotic world on their own.