Independent Living Skills are Lacking in Foster Care Alumni

Why Teaching Independent Living Skills to Children in Foster Care is Important

Independent living skills, such as lifelong learning, work ethics, self-care, and household management, are important for any young adult to learn. However, for those in foster care, these skills are vital! Young adults aging out of foster care often do not have adults that they can fall back on when times get hard and money is tight. In fact, the outcomes for foster care alumni are quite shocking. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation (May 2023), statistics of foster care alumni show:

• 20-25% will experience homelessness and 20% will be incarcerated between the ages of 17-21

• 23% will be become parents before the age of 21

• Only 57% will be employed (full or part time) by the age of 21

• 20% will have significant mental health issues throughout adulthood

What Independent Living Skills are the Most Important to Learn?

There are four categories of Independent Living Skills that have proven to be indicators of a young person's ability to be successful as adults:

• Mindset and learning skills

• Work ethic skills

• Social and emotional skills

• Household management

Mindset and learning skills include an appreciation for lifelong learning, self-confidence in their ability to accomplish tasks, and effective communication skills. Someone with appropriate work ethic skills will be self-disciplined, adaptable, able to think and act independently, and will perserve. Social and emotional skills are those skills that allow a person to make healthy connections with others, collaborate as a team member, and handle conflict appropriately. Household management is more than just completing chores, but understanding the importance of taking care of ones-self physically and mentally, and knowing where to go for help when needed.

We start learning these independent living skills from birth at home, in school, and in our communities. When a toddler learns to share their toys with a sibling or friend, they are taking a step towards learning how to collaborate with others. A child who joins a sports team and makes a committment to attend every practice and try their best are learning self-discipline and perserverance. A teen who takes a speech and debate class learns what makes up a persuasive speech.

But when a child experiences a chaotic childhood, moving from home to home, changing schools multiple times, or experiencing so much trauma that their maturity level is frozen at a younger age, they are also missing out of the life lessons that usually help them learn independent living skills.

Many foster parents do a great job in supplementing this learning in their homes, but many already have their hands full just trying to make the child feel safe and comfortable. For a child with severe trauma, they are often stuck in "fight or flight" mode, and cannot even begin to think of their future or do not believe they have control of their future. This is where YOU come in!

How Can I Help Foster Children Learn These Important Skills?

According to the Search Institute, the more healthy, developmental relationships a child has with non-parental adults, the more likely they will grow to be successful adults who contribute meaningfully to society. YOU can be one of those developmental relationships that makes a difference for a child in foster care as they learn those independent living skills they need to succeed.

• Connect with a local foster care licensing agency (https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/states-territories-tribes/) and see if they are accepting volunteers for tutoring or mentoring

• Talk to your workplace to see if they would be willing to offer students in foster care the chance to job shadow so that they can experience the realities of working in a specific field

• Connect with local churches and child-serving organizations to see if and how they are intentionally serving children in foster care and their families, and if they are not, work with them to develop programs specifically for foster families in your area

Together we can change the statistics and help children in foster care grow up to be successful adults!