Our faithful readers may have begun to notice that on holidays, like Labor Day and Columbus Day, we spotlight the accomplishments of deserving youth who are making a difference in the lives of others. If you’d like to read a Halloweeny post, check out this one.
Today we put the spotlight on Ashley John-Baptiste, a youth who grew up in the foster care system in the UK, went to Cambridge, was a part of a group on the X-Factor and helped organize an event called ‘B Inspired’ for youth in care and leaving care.
The event was designed to raise the academic aspirations of youth in care and leaving care. Here’s an article about Ashley’s experiences as a youth in care and his time at Cambridge.
Did you know that in the US
” 70% of teens who emancipate from foster care report that they want to attend college, but less than 50% complete their high school graduation and fewer than 10% of who graduate from high school enroll and go to college, and of those less than 1% graduate from college” Honoring Emancipated Youth
And in the UK
“When the IOE researchers’ report was published in May 2005, there were still no national statistics on the proportion of care leavers going on to university. The best estimate was about 1 per cent. Many local authorities had never supported a young person in care through a degree course.” Institute of Education, London
I’ve had the opportunity to work with youth in foster care in the US and UK, so this is a subject near and dear to my heart. Youth in foster care need mentors, CASA’s and other advocates in their life to help them succeed. Click to learn more about the foster care system in the US and UK.
Ashley received the support he needed, from the adults in his life, which helped him achieve his goals.
Question: How can you help youth in foster care? Or do you already work with foster youth? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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