The Need

The foster care system is designed to keep children safe – to find them a bed, to make sure their most basic needs are being met. But for youth who “age out” of foster care, outcomes are bleak. Story on the Need of Support

 

28,000

Youth “age out” of foster care each year in the US at age 18 or 21

 
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In 2011, Illinois had the third highest rate of youth aging out

 

In one study of youth aging out in the Midwest, by age 26…

 
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Foster Progress was founded on the principle that kids need more than the basics. They need hope and a vision for the future. 

 
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In Illinois, we compared the number of youth who filled out the FAFSA (the first step in applying for financial aid) to those who actually enroll in college and those who will likely end up graduating. These numbers make a clear case for programming like ours that prepare and support foster youth in their pursuit of higher education.

Learn more about the impact Foster Progress is having here in Illinois.