July/August 2017Vol. 18, No. 5Foster Care Alumni Discuss Transitioning From Care
"Young People Transitioning From Foster Care" is part of the CaseyCast podcast series produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This podcast focuses on the experiences of two foster care alumnae, Samanthya Amann and Brittany Hunter, who are also young fellows from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. In the interview, Amann and Hunter share the challenges they faced and the supports they used when they transitioned out of foster care, as well as their ideas on how to make the transition from foster care a smoother one.
According to Amann and Hunter, there are four primary challenges youth face while transitioning out of foster care:
- Securing safe and stable housing
- Having reliable transportation or obtaining a driver's license and insurance
- Learning financial literacy
- Finding affordable child care for those who have children
To offset some of these obstacles to self-sufficiency, Amann and Hunter suggest that agencies partner with housing initiatives to provide transitioning youth with housing options that do not require a minimum credit limit since most youth in foster care have no credit. In addition, child care stipends would allow transitioning youth to obtain employment or continue their education, which can lead to better employment, housing, and financial security.
To learn about more about Samanthya Amann and Brittany Hunter and their views on leaving foster care, see the CaseyCast episode at http://www.aecf.org/podcast/how-can-we-help-former-foster-youth-succeed-ask-them/.