In Tennessee, the number of foster youths near adulthood has dropped slightly, according to a new report.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation looked at the transition period for young adults in foster care and found the number of young Tennesseans aged 14 and up dropped from 48% in 2006 to 36% in 2021.

Kylie Graves, policy specialist for the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, said the foster care system poses numerous challenges, especially with youth aging out of the system, and supporting them through the process is critical. She added Tennessee was one of the first states to offer the extension of foster care services.

"We coordinate the youth transitions Advisory Council, which is a group of people looking at that age group specifically," Graves explained. "I think that's really been beneficial and seeing some of these improved numbers that are reflected in the report. And then additionally, I think it's really important for Tennessee because our foster population does trend just slightly older than the average. "

Graves argued setting youth up for success is critical, whether through education or employment. She added the Department of Children's Services aims to establish an independent living plan for youth as they get closer to aging out, which would determine the best steps young people need to take to move into adulthood, such as knowing how to get a driver's license and Social Security card.

The report found 73% of Tennessee young adults with foster care experience who were 21 years old in 2021 had a high school diploma or equivalent.

Richard Kennedy, executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, said as part of the extension of foster care services and federal support from the Chafee funds, young adults who are aging out can voluntarily elect to stay in the system and pursue funding for higher education.

"There's funding that will be available that help with tuition and fees," Kennedy outlined. "There's funding that's available to help with housing subsidies, they're programs that are available through resource centers that really connect them with other young people who are or have aged out of the foster care system to really teach life skills and financial support and things like that."

Todd Lloyd, senior policy associate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said there are about half as many adolescents in foster care as there were 15 years ago. But he added the reasons they are entering foster care have shifted.

"In the past, young people were coming in for foster care for reasons of behavior, adolescent behavior, child behavior problems," Lloyd pointed out. "Now, there's more of a shift towards them entering care for reasons of neglect, which are often you know, connected to issues of poverty. "

Lloyd stressed to help improve outcomes the state systems must do more to ensure young people in their care receive the resources, relationships, and opportunities to foster success as they navigate the journey to adulthood. He added greater investment is needed for essential services, educational assistance, and economic stability, upon leaving foster care.

As winter sets in, advocates are spotlighting the need for after-school programs to provide Indiana youth with safe spaces to build skills, stay engaged, and foster positive relationships.

Research shows participation in organized activities improves mental and physical health.

Tami Silverman - president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute - said the settings foster belonging, confidence, and resilience, reducing feelings of isolation, and promoting positive peer relationships.

"We know that social isolation is on the rise - and so, we're looking at that social isolation going up," said Silverman, "and also, the need for kids to belong. And say, 'What can we do about it? How do we counterbalance that?'"

Silverman said these activities can create safe spaces for youth to set goals, face challenges, and grow.

She added that they provide critical networks of supportive adults, especially for those lacking consistent guidance at home or school.

Silverman said physical activity through team sports improves fitness and lowers risks of obesity and related health issues.

Structured programs also help kids manage stress, avoid risky behaviors, and build a foundation for lifelong success.

Research links extracurricular participation to higher grades, better attendance, and greater college enrollment rates.

"Research, particularly from Child Trends, that talks about those activities build skills such as teamwork, communication, conflict resolution," said Silverman. "I mean, you can see how those skills could go right back into the classroom."

Advocates say addressing barriers like cost, transportation, and availability is essential to ensuring all children can participate.

They say more resources for youth programs can help Indiana create more inclusive and supportive environments.




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Incarcerated young people in Washington state can spend a longer time in detention if they do not have a place to go upon release.

Some of the reasons for longer stays for people under the age of 18 include youth who are experiencing homelessness or are in between homeless shelters.

Sara Zier, director of legal services for TeamChild, a Washington state based advocacy group for youth involved with the juvenile justice system, said overstaying in detention is devastating for the youth who experience it.

"They're facing layers of challenges," Zier pointed out. "Not only do they not have a safe place to sleep or to go home to or a family and supportive adults to meet their needs, but then they're held in detention where they're isolated and they don't have a chance of those things either."

Zier noted many barriers exist to ensuring young people have a place to go when they're released. She explained people do not have a right to determine where they reside until they're 18 years old. A U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this year allows cities to pass laws punishing people experiencing homelessness, which could exacerbate the situation for young people in Washington.

Degale Cooper, CEO of YouthCare, an organization working to end youth homelessness in King County, said Black, Indigenous and people of color disproportionately experience homelessness in the county. Cooper acknowledged the city of Seattle and the state have policies in place to end youth homelessness, but funding remains an issue.

"Young people are homeless all over our state," Cooper emphasized. "If we don't have the financial resources to support organizations that can house these young people for either short periods of time or long periods of time, then the policy can't work."

State lawmakers passed a measure that went into effect in 2021 stating, "Any unaccompanied youth discharged from a publicly funded system of care will be discharged into safe and stable housing." However, the state has yet to achieve it. Zier stressed it is important to solve the issue of unaccompanied youth held in detention even though population-wise, it is a small number of people.

"From an equity perspective it's really important that our state stick to commitments we've made to house young people," Zier contended. "And also to give young people who are detained for offenses opportunities to engage in treatment, instead of being held in detention where their needs aren't met."

TeamChild offered some recommendations for addressing the issue of youth who are stuck in detention. It said the state should allow faster access to court for young people in detention and adjust the legal emancipation and minor guardianships to better serve people under age 18.

Young people in Pueblo can now avoid serious and long-lasting consequences when they are unable to pay fines or fees.

Chanell Hasty, program manager with the National League of Cities - which created the Cities Addressing Fines and Fees, or CAFFE program - said when young people cannot pay a fee, it goes into collections. That can make it much harder for them to become financially independent, contributing members of the community.

"Jobs today, they require that you have decent credit scores to get a job, so they may not be able to get a job. They may not be able to get housing because of a damaged credit score," she said. "It's just a negative economic spiral for this young person."

Unpaid fines and fees can quickly snowball, leading to increased fines, driver's license suspensions or even jail time. Through CAFFE, people can sign up for Pueblo's Financial Empowerment Center, get one-on-one financial literacy tutoring, get their court fines or fees reduced, and pay them off through community service. Pueblo is one of 14 cities selected to participate in the program, which is also open to adults.

A similar program run by the San Francisco Financial Justice Project, called AFTER, helps juvenile crime victims secure restitution costs. Struggling families are often left on the hook for these costs, which can push the entire family deeper into poverty. Without this program, Hasty said victims who have real medical bills to pay may never get the money they need.

"So a program like this allows for the victim to actually get financial restitution to pay whatever bills that result from the crime," she continued.

Researchers found that crime survivors generally receive little, if any, restitution.

One year after restitution was ordered, only 2% was paid, and more than 90% remained unpaid after five years. Municipal fines and fees also disproportionately burden low-income residents, especially residents of color.


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