Successful Transition from Foster Care
“Imagine spending your young adult years in different foster homes, or being placed in emergency shelters because there isn’t a foster home available to take a teenager. Imagine getting ready to turn 18 and knowing that you have no place to go. Imagine having no family to turn to when you are trying to make some big decision in your life such as finding housing or employment.
As scary as this sounds, this scenario is a reality that many young adults who age out of the foster care system face every day. Young people are turning 18 and stepping out from under the care of the Department of Human Services (DHS) or Juvenile Court Services (JCS) with no supports in their lives.
The Iowa Aftercare Services Network is a state wide voluntary program available for young adults who have aged out of the DHS/JCS system. Young adults are assigned an advocate to connect them to resources and assist them with life decisions. These advocates are sometimes the only support that young people fresh out of the foster care system have to help them…”
