Pitfalls of Transition for Children in Foster Care

Jeremy Harvey is a liaison from the Foster Care Alumni of America to the AAP's Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care, and is a former youth in foster care. This session highlighted the major issues that youth face when transitioning out of foster care and the need to support and prepare these youth for successful independent trajectories. Important issues to consider include deferring aging out of foster care from 18 to 21 years, health care and access to insurance until age 26 for foster care alumni (impact of ACA), living arrangements, vocational/college support, teaching youth skills, providing foundations to live and succeed on their own, and to establish a supportive social network. The session content identified ways pediatricians can help youth in foster care make a successful transition into adulthood. ​​