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THE CALL: FOSTER OPPORTUNITIES

A growing body of evidence shows that our foster care system may be setting up hundreds of thousands of young Americans to fail...
Ronan Farrow talks to three young people: Claribelle, Niquana and Gilbert, about their experiences growing up in and aging out of the foster system in the U.S..
Ronan Farrow talks to three young people: Claribelle, Niquana and Gilbert, about their experiences growing up in and aging out of the foster system in the U.S..
By Yasmin Aslam, Yasmin Aslam

Dear Senators Harry Reid & Mitch McConnell,

Three young adults, Claribelle, Niquana and Gilbert, talked to us about growing up and aging out in the foster care system -- a system that a growing body of evidence shows may be setting up hundreds of thousands of young Americans to fail. 

For eight years, researchers followed 600 young adults, who aged out of the child welfare system in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. The result of that study found that at 23-24 years of age, former foster youth are more likely than their peers to be: 

  • Unemployed
  • Homeless
  • Pregnant
  • Convicted of a crime 
  • Uneducated

For people like Niquana and Gilbert, who have "aged out" of the system, and Claribelle, who is in the process of aging out... it's a scary reality. 

That is why Team Ronan is urging you to pass the bipartisan Senate and House agreement, which will improve child support collections and improve opportunities for youth in our foster care system. And all those signed below agree.

Sincerely,

Team RFD