What happens to children who aren't adopted?

What happens to children who aren't adopted?

Jennifer Perry (Executive Director, Children's Action Network) gives expert video advice on: Under what circumstances does a child become "custody of the state"?; Are foster parents the same as adoptive parents?; What happens to children who aren't adopted? and more...

Sadly for children who are not adopted, the outcomes are not particularly great. Those children are known as emancipated youth, and in most states youths can emancipate from foster care at the age of 18. That means they're no longer under the guardianship of the state and they're on their own. Sadly, about 3% of them tend unemployed, often 12% of them end up homeless and a number of them end up incarcerated. It's very difficult for these youths because they haven't had a normal family structure or any of the support that have enabled them to gain the life skills they need to flourish. And that's why for many of them, and there are 25 youths each year who emancipate from foster care, the outcomes are bleak.