Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Resources for Ohio youth "aging out" of foster care

Employment

Food
  • Go with the young person to apply for food stamps, or accompany him or her to the nearest Food Bank.
  • Here's a list of Food Banks in Ohio.

GED

Healthcare
  • Foster care youth who "age out" of the system can receive Medicaid until age 21.
  • Navigating the adult Medicaid system can be challenging.
  • Don't assume that the staff at the Medicaid office will be aware of this program -- bring a copy of the flyer.

Higher Ed
  • Ohio Reach is a statewide initiative to increase the number of foster care youth who enroll in and graduate from college.
  • A good place to start in choosing a college is to look over the list of Ohio Reach Campus Liaisons.

Housing

Legal Assistance

Are you a current or former foster youth between ages 16-25?

Do you need help with:
  • Understanding legal papers? 
  • Getting healthcare, public benefits, housing or insurance? 
  • Applying to college? Deleting criminal records? 
  • Finding your social security card, birth certificate, or other personal documents? 
  • Speaking up for yourself in court, at school or in the community? 
Contact the Foster Youth Advocacy Center: (614) 236-6768, fyac@law.capital.edu

Literacy

Mental Health
  • Each Ohio county has a Mental Health Board, and it's up to us to advocate for specific services for transitioning foster care youth.
  • It's important to be aware that former foster youth suffer from PTSD at a rate twice that of Vietnam war veterans.

Parenting

Phone Bills
Self Advocacy
Social Security

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