Long-Term Foster Care Child Turns 21
After over 15 years in care a Long-Term Foster Care Child Turns 21.
After over fifteen years with our agency one of our more tenured foster children was discharged recently when he turned 21 years of age. He came into care due to his parents’ drug use and dependence combined with deplorable living conditions. As a result, the child was malnourished and suffering from many long-term illnesses. After coming into the agency’s care he stayed with one family for approximately ten months. He was then moved due to the family being unable to provide for all of his unique and special needs. Following his move he remained in the same home for the next eighteen years with foster care parents who accepted, loved, and advocated for him. He participated in many family activities including vacations, music lessons, Special Olympics and community outings. On this child’s twenty first birthday his foster parents threw him a grand birthday party. They invited all the professionals that had made a difference in his life since his placement. At the age of twenty-one he was discharged to the foster parents who he recognizes as mom and dad. The child who is now a young man has a job he loves and services to assist and support himself and the foster parents. After his discharge both he and the foster parents sent Aldersgate letters expressing their excitement for having each other in their lives.
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