ASCC teens need your help to establish happy, productive lives.
After leaving home for the first time, most young adults still rely on their parents for good advice, living skills,
and financial help. But, "aged-out" foster care teens have no one to turn to. They have no one to call when they mess
up a recipe or get a flat tire. They have no one to listen when they endure a bad breakup or fail an exam. They have
no one to support them through their first real job, their first adult relationship, and their first time living on
their own.
Nearly 20,000 foster care teens "age-out" of the foster care system each year. Once they reach 18, their state and
foster families are no longer required to give them assistance. They are left to fend for themselves.
Unfortunately, many foster care teens don't have the support and life skills necessary to live on their own.
Foster care studies have shown that in just four years after leaving foster care, 25 percent of "aged-out" youth
have been homeless, 42 percent have become parents themselves, fewer than 20 percent are able to support themselves,
and only 46 percent have graduated from high school. Because they lack the support systems most young adults take for
granted, aged-out foster care teens are at high risk for substance abuse, domestic violence and poverty.
How ASCC Makes a Difference
In ASCC Housing & Money Management Program, our youth will learn budgeting techniques, how to build your credit
and keep it manageable, how to invest in the future, the difference in interest rates and how to use them for
your advantage, as well as, the numerous scams that are out in the world that are just waiting to take advantage of
those who are naïve and don’t have your best interest in mind.
Learning effective money management not only will enable our youth to live comfortably within their means, but also
help them to increase their wealth. We show them the basic money management skills they need to help them manage
and stay in control of their money:
Set a Money Management Goal
ASCC will teach our youth to make their finanical goals practical, providing a clear finanical direction for the future.
Knowing about a comfortable retirement, but starting with smaller objectives like saving money for groceries,
paying rent, saving for a home and establishing credit. Giving them the skills for managing their own money,
a satisfaction of success to keep them on track!
Track your income
Teaching our youth to track their their income and spending, taking their month’s worth and dividing that
to see what the average income is. Better yet, add them for a quarter year and divide by 13
(number of weeks in a quarter) you’ll get a more accurate view of your earning power. Not just adding a weekly wage
times four. We have to perpare them for sick days, flat-tire days, and omitting extra income from overtime and holidays.
Know what you have
Our youth are taught that before they can live within your means, they really need to know what their means are. Start
by taking stock of their money and saving.
Track your spending
Once our youth understands what money they have and what income they can expect to get, it’s time to find out where their
money goes. They are taught to track their spending down to the penny for a entire month. Recording everything!
In addition to tracking the cash they spend, they use their notebooks to record every bill payment,
check, debit, and credit card expenditure.
Housing
The Challenge
Studies estimate that 20% of youth who arrive at shelters came directly from foster care, and more than 25% had
been in foster care in the previous year. These youth age out of the foster care system and are discharged with
no housing or income support. For youth who are released from juvenile corrections facilities, many become
homeless because they lack support systems and opportunities for work and housing.
Some homeless youth have run away from homes where they were the victims of physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
One study reports that more than four in ten youth report being beaten by a caretaker, and a quarter were either
sexually abused or feared being sexually abused. Others are running away from alcohol and drug abuse in the home.
More than 40% of homeless youth report that one or both of their parents had at some point received treatment
for alcohol, drug, or psychological problems.
A number are homeless because of their own addictions to drugs and/or alcohol. One study in the Journal of
Substance Abuse Treatment contends that 85% of homeless youth have substance use disorders. A large number of
homeless young women either ran away or were kicked out of the home due to pregnancy. A tenth of homeless and
runaway girls are reportedly pregnant.
Other homeless youth are forced to leave home because of their sexual orientation, that is, gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgender. As many as 25% of LBGT teens are rejected by their families, and many end up homeless
on the streets.
There are homeless youth that are employed but still can’t afford rent, food and other basic needs. Neglect and lack
of emotional and financial support from their families can also cause youth homelessness. Mentally ill youth may
end up homeless because they don’t have access to supportive housing and/or other treatment services.
How ASCC Makes a Difference
To ensure that you are able to afford adequate housing, you not only need to budget your finances but you must
also have steady employment or income to protect yourself and your family from homelessness.
There are several different avenues you can take when finding your choice of housing. You must first decide
what you can afford, and then decide what type of housing you prefer to live in and your comfort zone.
You may choose an apartment community, college dorm or individual homes like a single family house, town home,
or a duplex. You might want to find a roommate, or live on your own. You will also have the option of leasing
or buying your choice of housing, in which both choices may come with pros and cons of your current finances and
personal needs.
Doing some research is a great start to find out the range of rentals or purchases you can afford, or the safety
and shopping convenience of the neighborhoods, as well as school districts. This will save you time and money
and narrow down your search results. Research will also provide several housing options and contacts to make
your decisions easier. Just remember to always read the contracts completely when you rent or purchase before
you sign your name, as you will be legally responsible for all contents and rules in the contract.
For more information on the Housing & Money Management Program or any other ASCC Program, please contact us at 615-283-3013
or email us at
info@ashleyschildren.org
ASCC teens need your help to establish happy, productive lives.
Learning effective money management not only will enable our youth to live comfortably within their means, but also
help them to increase their wealth. We show them the basic money management skills they need to help them manage
and stay in control of their money:
Studies estimate that 20% of youth who arrive at shelters came directly from foster care, and more than 25% had
been in foster care in the previous year. These youth age out of the foster care system and are discharged with
no housing or income support. For youth who are released from juvenile corrections facilities, many become
homeless because they lack support systems and opportunities for work and housing.
To ensure that you are able to afford adequate housing, you not only need to budget your finances but you must
also have steady employment or income to protect yourself and your family from homelessness.
