Articles

Aiana Dadanova always loved expressing herself through drawing and painting, but when she entered the foster care system at 17, she found herself living in a Manhattan group home where the art supplies were usually locked up. The only staff member with the key was often too busy “dealing with another crisis” to encourage any […]

For children in foster care, money management is not just a practical life skill. It is a stability skill. Many youth who experience foster care move frequently, have limited control over personal decisions and age into adulthood with fewer financial safety nets. National data consistently show that young adults who move out of the foster […]

As the author shares in the opening paragraphs of the book, “Murder, Motherhood, and Miraculous Grace,” a simple yes in 1996 forever changed the lives of Debra and Al Moerke. The family were veteran foster parents of 14 years when they welcomed a newborn into their family and then shortly thereafter that child’s siblings. In […]

At 23, Hannah B. has experienced homelessness, sometimes even living out of her car or couch surfing at friends’ homes. “I was at risk of homelessness — I was homeless for a little bit there, and then I did get a job and get an apartment, but I was really struggling to pay for everything,” […]

Substance use issues are a chronic and regular part of many young adults’ transition out of the foster care system and into adulthood. As many as 35% of youth in foster care use substances before the age of 18, according to statistics compiled by Casey Family Programs. By the time they leave the foster care […]

Families raising children with special needs in California find a growing network of support, but still have difficulty finding some resources. Sheri Louie fell in love with Kristina the moment she saw her at the group home for medically fragile children in Fresno, California. A licensed vocational nurse, Louie spent years working with children like […]

Aiana Dadanova always loved expressing herself through drawing and painting, but when she entered the foster care system at 17, she found herself living in a Manhattan group home where the art supplies were usually locked up. The only staff member with the key was often too busy “dealing with another crisis” to encourage any […]

At a gathering of state and federal officials in the U.S. Capitol last summer, foster care alum Ivy Smith described the rocky path she traveled through higher education to earn three degrees from Boise State University. She recalled the foster mom who couldn’t drive her to college prep classes, having to argue in family court […]