skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Ohio's milestone moment for women in government; Price growth ticked up in November as inflation progress stalls; NE public housing legal case touches on quality of life for vulnerable renters; California expert sounds alarm on avian flu's threat to humans, livestock.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Debates on presidential accountability, the death penalty, gender equality, Medicare and Social Security cuts; and Ohio's education policies highlight critical issues shaping the nation's future.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Many rural counties that voted for Trump also cast ballots against school vouchers and to protect abortion rights, Pennsylvania's Black mayors are collaborating to unite their communities and unique methods are being tried to address America's mental health crisis.

U.S. hits quarter-century mark focusing on kids 'aging out' of foster care

play audio
Play

Friday, December 6, 2024   

This month marks the 25th anniversary of a federal law designed to give states flexibility in helping older kids transition out of foster care.

States such as Nebraska have updated their programs, but advocates say services are still underutilized. In 1999, the U.S. government enacted a law that gives states money to carry out independent living programs for kids in foster care, soon to be adults. But the Annie E. Casey Foundation says fewer than half of those eligible receive services.

Hope Cooper, who leads the Journey to Success campaign to raise awareness of this issue, said these kids often face a steep climb at a key stage in life.

"They faced a lot of adversity in their early years," she said, "and we have the opportunity - and we really have to meet that opportunity - to provide some really targeted, additional supports to smooth that climb."

Nebraska's program, which is voluntary, saw more than 340 young adults participate in 2022. The Casey Foundation said only about one in four successfully completed it.

National advocates have urged state and federal lawmakers to do all they can to close gaps. This past year, Nebraska opted to include youths aging out of the juvenile justice system who lack any family support.

Cooper said a range of services under these state-level programs can help with things such as job training and housing stability. Beyond the federal law, she said other forms of support have emerged.

"We're trying to create more educational stability for young people during their junior high and high school years," she said, "and creating more supports for young people as they go and pursue higher-education opportunities."

On a broader scale, she said some "fine-tuning" is needed to implement these programs, to ensure they meet their potential. A number of states have also extended foster care to youths beyond age 18 to help with these transitions. Nebraska's independent living program serves 19- to-21-year-olds.

Disclosure: Annie E Casey Foundation contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, Education, Juvenile Justice, Welfare Reform. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
David Bintz' brother, Robert Bintz, was also released from prison this year and was represented by the Great North Innocence Project. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The Wisconsin Innocence Project is ending the year with some key victories including helping with the release of two men who each spent decades in pri…


Health and Wellness

play sound

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for California News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri has stepped up to fight childhood hunger by providing food aid over the summer for kids who rely on school meals for nutrition. The U.S…


A 2022 study of evictions in Lancaster County by the University of Nebraska College of Law found a high level of non-compliance in moving forward with such proceedings when tenants lacked counsel. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

The public housing agency serving Nebraska's largest city faces legal action amid claims of poor living conditions for a tenant with disabilities…

Social Issues

play sound

Five years ago, Minnesota established a program to bolster well-being metrics for children of color and young Native American kids. Today, fund …

Out-of-pocket costs increased by $1700 on average for older Coloradans with Medicare Advantage coverage, plans claiming to limit health costs for people living on fixed incomes. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Between 2013 and 2022, health care spending in Colorado surged by 139% to nearly $30 billion, according to a new analysis by the Center for Improving …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Indianapolis is expanding its innovative Clinician-Led Community Response program, offering Hoosiers a new approach to handling mental health crises…

Social Issues

play sound

Worker-owned cannabis cooperatives in Rhode Island are striving to help those affected by the war on drugs. State law mandates at least six retail …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021