OMAHA, Neb. -- Some 24,000 teenagers in foster care across the nation officially become adults each year; in Nebraska it happens on their 19th birthday.

They are expected to move out and start their lives on their own, yet many do not have a reliable support system. They face many challenges, including finding a job and a place to live.

Aaron Weaver, central access navigator for Nebraska Children's Project Everlast in Omaha, said the holiday season can be especially hard.

"A lot of young people don't have any contact with biological family and were never adopted," Weaver explained. "They might not have a place to go during the holiday season. People who are in dorms oftentimes are asked to leave and may not have a place to go for the holiday season as well."

Studies have found within two to four years after leaving foster care, 40% of young adults experienced homelessness or were incarcerated, 46% did not graduate from high school, and more than half were unemployed.

Weaver pointed out support and resources are available through NebraskaChildren.org, where staff can help connect youth to specific programs by county.

Many young people who have aged out of foster care lack basic life skills, such as how to do laundry or cook dinner for themselves.

Weaver noted adult volunteers can make a big difference, just by being a reliable voice on the telephone or making time to meet up for coffee.

"A lot of studies show that if a young person has one supportive adult in their life for more than a year, so is consistently there to support them for a year or more, that their outcomes are greatly, greatly improved," Weaver outlined.

Anyone interested in becoming a mentor, or helping foster youths in other ways, can sign up through NebraskaChildren.org.

As the holidays draw near, Weaver encouraged young people to check the site for events near them, and to consider creating their own family gathering with friends.

"You determine who is in your life, and you determine who your supports are," Weaver remarked. "And you can choose who you love and who you let love you. And make sure that it's people that are healthy."

Michigan is taking steps to improve the child welfare system for National Foster Care Month.

In Michigan, nearly a quarter of young people who are in foster care at age 17 experience homelessness by the time they turn 19, and it jumps to about a third by 21. And unemployment rates for former foster youths are 2.5 times higher than the general youth population.

Demetrius Starling, executive director of the state's Children's Services Agency, said things such as wraparound and mental-health services have not always been available to families and kids in a timely manner.

"We're looking at permanency, we're looking at ways to wrap services around our families and communities and keep kids safely at home if at all possible," Starling explained. "But also, we're really looking to make sure that we keep siblings placed in foster care together, and also limit the time that children are spending in foster homes."

The steps build on reforms that have been in progress for more than a decade, after a national advocacy group filed a class-action lawsuit in 2006 alleging constitutional and federal law violations regarding permanency of foster placements, lack of proper medical and dental care and few supports for those aging out of the system. Since then, there have been multiple consent decrees to make improvements.

Starling added National Foster Care Month is also a time to encourage individuals and families to consider fostering a child.

"Michigan right now has approximately 10,500 children in foster care at any given time," Starling reported. "So we truly need foster families to keep these children safe, and to care for them until they can be returned to their family, which of course is our priority."

He noted people who are interested can call one of the state's foster-care navigators, at 855-MICH-KIDS. He said navigators are experienced in connecting potential foster families with the right agency and any guidance they may need.

May is National Foster Care Month, and groups that serve foster youths and families say improvements are needed for outcomes and to reduce disparities for those aging out of care.

Roughly 40% of youths who age out will experience homelessness within a year, and about half of foster children in the Commonwealth identify as Black or Latino. The median income for former foster youths up to age 26 is less than $9,000 a year.

Shaheer Mustafa is the CEO of HopeWell, which provides comprehensive foster-care services to families and young people throughout the system. He said the point of transition from foster care to adulthood is key.

"Our brains aren't even fully developed until we're in our late 20s, arguably even into our 30s," said Mustafa. "So we need to listen to young people, and we need to give them latitude to kind of experiment and make mistakes. And unfortunately, our system doesn't really allow for that."

Mustafa said Massachusetts does have what's known as extended foster care, but there are many hoops to jump through, and more accessible supports are needed. There are more than 9,500 kids and teens in foster care in the Commonwealth.

Mustafa pointed to data showing a quarter of young people who have experienced foster care will be incarcerated, more than half will drop out of high school and fewer than 5% earn a postsecondary degree.

He said the support network for young people aging out of care needs to be broader than just the child welfare system.

"In a place like Massachusetts," said Mustafa, "where we have really arguably the world's epicenter for postsecondary institutions, we do not have campus-based supports - specifically for youths who have aged out of foster care."

He added that HopeWell has a program called My First Place, which offers former foster youths rent-free apartments while they identify, plan for and work to achieve their long-term goals.

While workforce shortages are plaguing nearly every field these days, the stakes are particularly high for Ohio's county children's services agencies.

The pandemic exacerbated turnover, as about 38% of Ohio child-protective services workers left their positions in 2020.

Matthew Tracy, ongoing social worker for Licking County Job and Family Services, explained much like first responders, caseworkers serve communities around the clock and are called to support families and keep children safe, often during traumatic moments.

"We're meeting them at their worst place, at their worst spot," Tracy pointed out. "It's very difficult to process at times."

Stephanie McDaniel, family services supervisor for Athens County Children's Services and a native of southern Ohio, enjoys giving back to her community, and while turnover increases stress, she explained her co-workers and the families she serves are what keep her motivated.

"My team's very tight, and having somebody to talk with is just really key," McDaniel emphasized. "Trying to remember why we are doing this. We want children to grow up in healthy and happy households. "

Research shows turnover is costly to taxpayers and can lead to children lingering in foster care.

Tracy argued if more workers can be hired and individual caseloads reduced, agencies could better serve the needs of children.

"Because we can actually spend more time with these families, you're going to have a lot better outcome of kids going home or getting home sooner, but also safely," Tracy contended.

McDaniel said caseworkers, just like parents, want what is best for the child.

"When we have a family that doesn't see us as scary or threatening, when they work alongside us, we have more success," McDaniel observed. "We want to build a network and a team around a family in order to help them be successful. "

She added their goal is to find permanency for children, whether through reunification with a parent or placement with a relative or other caregiver.