Limited Placement Options for Older Youth in Foster Care

Unfortunately, placement options for older youth in foster care, particularly those over the age of 18, are limited. CPS and others continue to work on providing more placements for older youth in foster care and young adults. But there may not be a placement available for you if you want to return to extended foster care, especially if you had some trouble in previous placements. You should think carefully about plans to leave care and have enough money and guarantees of future income before you leave your current placement. It is better to save your limited transitional money for a time when you have detailed plans that are well underway. You will have serious challenges if you suddenly move out of foster care with no means to pay your rent and other bills.

If you really don’t want to stay in your current placement but are open to other foster care options, talk to your caseworker and PAL staff about what other options are available for you. For example, there might be a transitional living program or a Supervised Independent Living (SIL) placement that you could get on the waiting list for or your caseworker could try to find other foster home placements that may be available in the future.