Case worker/foster kid questions

Hi MaLanie, I've been in foster care for almost 2 and a half years. A case worker remains in the life of the child up until age 18. If the child consents to remain in foster care past age 18, then the age is up to 21. Sometimes young people get tired of it and want to leave so they don't give consent with the understanding that they will no longer receive support from the agency.
As for the second question (ie college) a caseworker would be the one assisting the teen to fill out applications, get financial aid, books, materials, everything. It would be no different in terms of involvement than with kids younger than 18. If you have any more questions feel free to pm me.

Some states have a little known (including not known to case workers!?!?) process where the state will provide partial or full assistance to state universities, through to graduation, including graduate school potentially. I had one kid I represented who went to UNH on a full scholarship. At the same time, another case worker was telling me New Hampshire didn't do this.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

In Pennsylvania, foster kids get free college tuition, and the county will set them up with a foster home to live in when not at school. Kids adopted from foster care can get free college (state school) if they were adopted after the age of 14.

Kids can stay in care until they are 21 (not quite finished college), but it is rare, since something like 75% don't even finish high school.

in nebraska all 'benefits' of the foster care system end at age 19, when a person becomes an adult. there is a federal grant called a 'pell grant' that is for low income/former wards of the state, but that is no longer available once you turn 25

In Canada they call it "aging out of the system" and that's at 18 years of age.

same in nebraska. it just happens at 19 (nebraska's age of majority).