The Problem

Each year more than 25,000 youth age out of the American foster care system to face uncertain futures as young adults. Most do not reunit­e with their par­ents or hav­e anoth­er per­ma­nent fam­i­ly home. Youth leave their biological or foster home for a variety of reasons including not understanding any benefit to staying and the desire for autonomy and independence. According to Wendy Smith in her book, Youth Leaving Foster Care, “many of them have experienced the trauma of physical, sexual or emotional abuse, neglect, disrupted family relationships, and multiple placements. Development and education are severely compromised. A quarter of youth experience homelessness after exiting care; 25-50% will not complete high school, and only 3-6% will graduate college. Less than half are employed four years after leaving care, and their earnings remain well below the poverty line. Rates of mental health disorders, early pregnancy and parenthood, and involvement in the criminal justice system are all heightened.”

The tran­si­tion to adult­hood is a sig­nif­i­cant and chal­leng­ing devel­op­men­tal phase of life for all young peo­ple, but youth aging out of fos­ter care or otherwise homeless must face this with­out the sup­port of a sta­ble fam­i­ly. Not sur­pris­ing­ly, these youth and young adults are more like­ly to expe­ri­ence behav­ioral, men­tal and phys­i­cal health issues, drug and alcohol abuse, hous­ing prob­lems and home­less­ness, employ­ment and aca­d­e­m­ic dif­fi­cul­ties, ear­ly par­ent­hood, incar­cer­a­tion and oth­er poten­tial­ly life­long adver­si­ties. Youth endure a constant ‘starting over’ process in the system and on the streets, which can cause problems with attachment and detachment, impacting the youth’s ability to form and maintain healthy relationships. 

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation study in 2022, “Youth experiencing homelessness on their own are more likely than their peers in the general population to endure threats to their health, safety, and wellbeing, including resorting to ‘Survival Crime’ such as selling drugs, stealing and exchanging sex for basic needs.

JRO aims to meet clients' immediate needs regarding housing, food, and medical care while working with them on a longer-term basis to create and execute a plan for becoming healthy, stable, independent, and self-sufficient, contributing members of the community.