Please register for the virtual panel here.

Speakers will include: 

• Megan Battista, MSW, 2023-2024 UB School of Social Work intern at PPG and author of the report;
• Dr. Leah Angel Daniel, EdD, Founder and Executive Director of Fostering Greatness, Inc;
• Jessica Maxwell, Executive Director of the Redlich Horwitz Foundation;
• Dr. Joshua Russell, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry UB Jacobs School of Medicine;
• Dejia James, Director of Policy Advancement and Media at PPG, will moderate the panel.

Each year, about 50 young people age out of foster care in Erie County between 18 and 21 years old. Considered too old to need protection, they are expected to navigate independence without a safety net. This leads to devastating and avoidable outcomes for this population who experience disproportionately high rates of arrest and incarceration, homelessness, unemployment, early pregnancy, and low academic achievement. Many young people live in very unsafe housing after they leave foster care, facing instability and sudden moves, health-harming conditions, or situations of abuse and trafficking.

Leaving foster care is a time that is marked with disruption of the relationships that young people consistently had in their case workers, as services are often age-limited. While there is some ongoing support for youth up to 23 years old in programs called Youth Engagement Services, these programs serve young people from 14 to 23 years old. They serve many young people who are currently still in the foster care system and are not exclusively designed for foster care alumni. 

Following advocacy by Fostering Greatness, Partnership for the Public Good, and our partners, the Erie County Legislature adopted a new funding line in the 2024 Erie County budget -- specifically for young people who have already aged out of care. According to the Erie County Legislature, this $400,000 pilot funding line is to fund “wraparound services for young people after foster care, including a central hub for resources and referrals; mentoring on issues like housing, finding a job, financial literacy, education, and additional engagement of older youth for services.”

At this panel session, we will learn from policy changes and best practices in other states and counties, as we continue our work to bring more support to foster youth transitions in Buffalo and Erie County.