Day 3: Foster Youth, the crisis

The Crisis

   The worst crisis in the foster care system is what happens to the teenagers when they are on their own. Today I want to focus on  a ministry that is very close to my heart, ReGenesis Rising.  ReGenesis Rising is an organization that meets these youth as they "age out" of the foster-care system.  They give these youth a home, a mentor and so much more.

   I could sing their praises all day long but the truth is they are just being obedient to the LORD.  I know many involved personally and can attest to their upstanding character and their desire to seek the LORD in all they do.  

  A few months back I posted some staggering statistics about children who age out of the foster-care system.  Here they are again so you can see how devastating this crisis is.

• On any given day more than 500,000 youth are in some form of foster care across the United States. Nearly 80,000 live in California.
• Nationally, each year an estimated 20,000 of these youth emancipate or “age out” of the foster care system, and are discharged into the world, whether or not they are prepared to transition to adulthood. 65% of them do so without a place to live and many don’t have the skills necessary to live on their own.
• Over 70% of all state penitentiary inmates have spent time in the foster care system.
• Over 40% of foster youth are moved 3 or more times and 11% are moved 5 times or more. It takes approximately 4-6 months for a child to recover academically after changing schools.
• Former foster youth experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at a rate two times the level of U.S. war vets.
• 51% of the youth are unemployed within 2-4 years of emancipation.
• 67% of females who emancipated form the child welfare system had at least one baby within 5 years of leaving care.
• Without housing, youth are less likely to complete their education, find employment, and gain access to health care, all of which jeopardize their ability to make a successful transition to adulthood.

Today I am asking that you pray about how you can be involved in the solution.  Could you take in a foster youth so that they don't age out of the system?  Could you mentor a teen?  Could you help to start a ReGenesis where you live?

So that you aren't left without hope watch this video about hope rising at ReGenesis in Orange County.

http://vimeo.com/41011641

To learn more about this organization you can visit their website http://regenesisrising.org/