Editorial: Youth aging out of foster care could finally get the help they need from Ohio legislators
Cleveland.com Editorial Board, July 08, 2015
House Bill 50, a sensible measure that would extend foster care up to age 21 and bring Ohio in line with 26 other states and the District of Columbia, died in committee last year. This year it has passed two committees and deserves passage by the Ohio House and Senate.
Currently, most Ohio youngsters in foster care are on their own when they reach 18 and foster-care subsidies end. It's no wonder that these youth are at risk for homelessness, incarceration and human trafficking.
The bill won't offer youth money, but rather an opportunity to stay with a foster family or move into supervised housing as long as they are working, attending school or have a documented disability, said Mark Mecum, chair of Ohio Fostering Connections.
The measure will allow Ohio to take advantage of a 2008 federal grant that gives states matching funds for extending foster care. About 1,000 Ohio youth a year age out of foster care.
The state will have to spend a little more than $10 million to create and implement the program. It's well worth it.
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