How Municipal Leaders Can Support Foster Youth Transitions to Adulthood

The National League of Cities’ July 2008 Municipal Action Guide, Supporting Foster Youth Transitions into Adulthood, provides a concise overview of the policies and practices related to supporting foster youth aging out of the system. NLC suggests action steps and resources for city government leaders, who do not traditionally play a role in foster care system administration but have tremendous potential to support the transition of foster youth into their communities.

Young people who have transitioned out of foster care are concentrated in cities and constitute sizable segments of the at-risk youth populations that cities seek to reach through a wide range of education, employment and training, homelessness, health and crime prevention initiatives. When city leaders thoughtfully anticipate the needs of transitioning foster youth and work collaboratively to address service gaps, they reap the benefits of a more stable, educated and productive workforce, safer streets and neighborhoods and decreased demand for emergency and other public services.

Policies for supporting children in and transitioning out of foster care, as well as policies for preparing youth to succeed in life.