Aging Out of Foster Care Information taken from: Midwest Evaluation of Adult Functioning for Former Foster Youth from Wisconsin Outcomes at Age 19 Mark Courtney and Amy Dworsky January 2006 Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois A partnership of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services; Adoption Resources of Wisconsin, Inc. PATH-WI, Inc. St. Aemilian-Lakeside, Inc

There are over 500,000 children in the U.S. foster care system. 118,000 of whom are available for adoption

Each year 20,000 kids age out of the foster care system into adulthood

Less than one in five youth are completely self sufficient when they leave foster care.

One fourth of youth are reading at a third grade level or lower when they age out of foster care

More than one third of those aging out of foster care had no high school diploma or general equivalency diploma

One year after aging out, only 40 percent of foster care alumni have current employment

Less than 50% of youth who have aged out of the foster care system have health insurance

More than half, 54 percent, of children aging out of the foster care system have what doctors diagnose as mental health problems.

More than 25 percent of foster care alumni experience post-traumatic stress disorder. That is 2 times as high as the percentage of veterans who faced combat.

Youth who age out foster care in Wisconsin are 12 times more likely to become homeless than their peers.

What Can You Do? Consider Becoming Foster Parent Become a Mentor For Youth Provide Access to Job Opportunities Sponsor Scholarships Assist with Access to affordable housing Advocate for extending T-19 eligibility in Wisconsin to 21

For more information on becoming a foster parent or helping out foster youth in your community contact : Agency Contact Person Phone