ST. LOUIS — 18-year-old Karissa lived in foster care for almost six years. She entered when she was barely a teenager… some of the most stressful times in a young person's life. Right before she turned 18 and aged out, like more than 20,000 youth in the US, she found her forever family! She now has a place to call home with two very special parents, surrounded by siblings and extended family. Karissa and her family beat the odds.
Children who age out of foster care without a support system are at an increased risk for homelessness, unemployment, incarceration, addiction and unplanned pregnancies. In the US, more than 400,000 children are living in foster care right now, 115,395 of them are teens. In Missouri, there are 1500 children waiting for forever families.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a foster or adoptive parent, please contact the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition at 1-800-FOSTER3.
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