We hear it all the time; it’s too late for foster youth aging out of the system. They’re too old. They’ve been through too much. We can’t help them. These statements are nonsense. And we’re not the only ones who think so.
A newly published paper by a Harvard-based institute, along with current neuroscience research, just knocked that belief off its high horse. The 50 year study completely counters widely held beliefs that people don’t change much after reaching a certain age showing high returns on government policies that targeted children all the way into college.
This is no surprise to us. Every day we see young people between the ages of 18-27 changing the trajectories of their lives, embarking on paths that lead to self-sufficiency and productive adulthoods. EVERY. DAY. The young adults we work with at Just in Time prove to us that they are confident and capable. We are proud to say we have witnessed hundreds of transition age youth overcome their adverse childhood experiences and go on to become successful, thriving adults since 2003. One of our key strategies is to provide connections to a robust community of caring adults and motivated peers. This is in sync with a report published by our friends at Annie. E. Casey Foundation. It states that “for young people to thrive, they need supportive adult relationships and multiple and flexible pathways to success that meet their varied needs.”
The bottom-line? It’s NEVER too late to help kids of any age, and this fact has been proven again and again. Want to help and see it for yourself? Call us at 619-269-5422 to set up a visit us at our offices, or consider volunteering and join a caring community that helps transition-age foster youth achieve self-sufficiency and well-being.
We are Just in Time for Foster Youth
