CHARLESTON, W.Va. — What now? That is the question many young people in foster care in West Virginia must answer when they reach a critical age.
“Think about you being 18 years old and walking in Downtown Charleston trying to figure out what you’re going to do with the next step of your life,” said Tiffani Dale with Burlington United Methodist Family Services.
The health and welfare ministry is just one of the agencies that operates community-based services, residential facilities and a transitional living home for young people in the Mountain State.
At age 18, young people in foster care have a critical decision to make.
“We do have options in our state,” said Marilyn Pearce, regional director for the Children’s Home Society of West Virginia, a private, nonprofit child welfare organization.
“We have options for children whether or not they want to remain in the state’s custody after the age of 18 or if they would like to sign out and go their own ways.”
Dale and Gina Pensule, also with Burlington, along with Pearce spoke recently to members of the state Senate Workforce Committee.
Also participating was Cammie Chapman, general counsel for the Bureau for Children and Families in the state Department of Health and Human Resources, who discussed “Opportunities for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care.”
Her list included Job Corps, with locations in Charleston and Harpers Ferry, Foster Youth Initiative grants which started in February 2020, tuition waivers for foster care youth, job support options and more.
“The children that are turning 18 in foster care are our most vulnerable young adults and there are many opportunities, but many areas where we can increase our services to these kids,” said Chapman.
Pearce, with the Children’s Home Society, said improvements were needed to build on cooperation and coordination for the different programs among the varying agencies.
“Although there are options, we need to expand on them. We need to do better as a whole and start working more as a community and really utilizing community partnerships,” Pearce said.
Recruitment for the next steps, she argued, needed to start in middle school and continue through high school and into college and the workforce, like the support systems established for many athletes.
Currently with those in foster care or aging out of foster care, “We’re not wrapping them and creating natural supports for them,” said Pearce.
Dale suggested lawmakers invest more in transitional living, technical skill training, workforce development, building reuse and other housing options for young people coming out of foster care.
A special focus, Dale said, was needed for funding in the most rural counties.