Meeting with HUD Senior Leadership regarding FSHO implementation

 

Link to more photos.

Letter to HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge.

Family Privilege in the Time of COVID

This is a direct quote from a young person I spoke with earlier this week. 

What young people need the most when striving to succeed in young adulthood is unconditional and long-lasting support.

But for former fosters, EVERYTHING comes with conditions, from the moment they turn 18.

It is unrealistic to expect foster youth whose decisions have always been made for them to magically know how to successfully navigate complex systems and eligibility requirements at age 18...

Especially now, in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. 

The share of 16- to 24-year-olds who are neither enrolled in school nor employed more than doubled from February (11%) to June (28%) due to the pandemic and consequent economic downturn.

In July 2020, 52% of young adults in the US resided with one or both of their parents, according to a Pew Research Center. This is a higher percentage than any previous measurement, including during the Great Depression. 

Though the ‘boomerang’ stage has been on the rise for at least the last decade, the pandemic has added a few new contributing factors: many who planned to go away for college could not –  university campuses closed across the world – and others who might have otherwise moved for a job after college delayed leaving home because in-office work has not been available.

The difference lies in having a place to come home to... 

#FamilyPrivilege is real. For those who 'age out' of foster youth this is often either (a.) not an option, or (b.) not a safe option.