NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — There are more than 8,000 Tennessee children in foster care, but what happens when the age out of the system?
Between 70 and 80% of foster youth without a supporting relationship once they reach 21 could experience everything from struggles with substance abuse to being unhoused, according to a landscape study published by Belmont University’s Innovation Labs in December.
“They know through their lived experience what worked and what didn’t work,” Tom Baldwin, Director of Strategy and Development with Belmont University’s Innovation Labs, said.
Belmont University’s Innovation Labs has opened doors into a longstanding conversation in Tennessee focused on some of the most vulnerable people — foster children. Over four months, the labs had in-depth conversations with former foster youth.
One of those foster youth was Emily. She was born in Claiborne County, but it wasn’t until she was 10 years old that her third grade teacher became concerned about signs of abuse and neglect. After a three-month investigation by the Department of Children’s Services (DCS), authorities found that Emily’s parents were struggling with substance abuse. Emily was removed from their care.
Emily lived with three different foster families during her first year in the system. Finally, she found a stable home at 13 years old with a family in Knoxville. That lasted for two years when she had to move out because of a conflict with another teen in the home. Emily was able to move into a group home in Nashville.
She then declined the offer to extend foster care services when she turned 18. Through the Belmont study, researchers were able to find out that Emily works minimum wage jobs and struggles to find affordable housing, relying on temporary shelters. The study went on to explain how “her work and commute schedule makes it hard for her to access mental health services.”
“The topic of foster youth and child welfare is becoming something that’s continuously more talked about, so it’s an incredible opportunity for us to be on the front lines of doing some work that helps to shape some of the recommendations,” Baldwin added.
About a year ago, News 2 sat down with Tristan Slogh. His childhood was filled with several high-security placement facilities. That is until he turned 18, then the next hurtle.
“[I was] lashing out for a number of reasons a lot of problems that I was not — I don’t think I even had the tools to deal with [it. I entered] DCS custody at 14,” Slogh said. “…The plan was: you’re going back home. You’re going to be with your mom. You’re going to be with your family. Eventually, it got to the point where I was about to turn 17 and I wasn’t any closer to getting home.”
Slogh was able to walk into another program, and became one of the success stories to come out of ‘LifeSet’. It’s one of the nation’s first, and now largest, programs helping young people transition into adulthood after the foster care system.
The initiative was launched in 1998 in Tennessee and has since grown into other states to give more youth a second chance. The program is focused on young adults aged 17-21 years old.
