Sheri and Deneen, frontline workers at Covenant House New Orleans, are no strangers to meeting young people who arrive at Covenant House at a pinnacle moment in their lives, including youth who are dropped off at the curb outside of their site on the edge of the French Quarter. Some of these young people have aged out of foster care and arrive at Covenant House on their birthday.
According to a recent study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, each year in the United States, approximately 23,000 youth age out of the foster care system when they turn 18 or 21, or when they finish high school, depending upon the state in which they live. Aging out of foster care without achieving permanence carries lifelong consequences, leaving young people at increased risk of poor educational outcomes, homelessness, unemployment, early parenthood, and substance use.
Last year, Covenant House called for support for policy change to remove barriers to advancement for young people in foster care, including support for the Fostering Post-Secondary Success for Foster and Homeless Youth Act of 2021. The bipartisan bill would remove barriers to college enrollment, affordability, and completion for young people experiencing homelessness and youth involved with foster care. “We will never end youth homelessness until we end the child-welfare-to-homelessness pipeline,” says Covenant House President and CEO, Kevin Ryan.
Louisiana is one of the lowest ranked states when it comes to child well-being, ranking 48. Covenant House New Orleans keeps its doors open 24/7 for all youth, and staff are trained to understand the unique challenges faced by young people aging out of the foster care system.
These young people are often ill-equipped to navigate a successful path to a self-sufficient and independent adulthood and they are vulnerable — to homelessness, human trafficking, and a host of other threats and obstacles to their well-being and future happiness.
And, this is when Covenant House doubles down on sharing our values of unconditional love and absolute respect. Direct care team members like Sheri and Deneen take immediate action. Here are a few stories they shared about youth they met at Covenant House New Orleans on their 18th birthday.
“A young man leaving foster care arrived on his 18th birthday, and all he requested was a fast-food meal. He was very surprised, and smiled ear to ear, when he received not only the meal, but cake and ice cream too.”
“A transgender female arrived on her 18th birthday and was surprised when we asked her what she wished for on her special day. She said she never had a birthday cake just for her on her birthday.”
“Recently, a very memorable experience happened here at Covenant House New Orleans. A young man was literally dropped off on the sidewalk outside our courtyard. His birthday was the day before. We could tell he was cognitively delayed. We brought him to get a COVID- 19 test and on the way, we talked about his favorite flavor of frosting on a cake. Chocolate! When we asked him what he wanted for a present, he said a coloring book and crayons. We got him several coloring books that day. But, the biggest present of all was that we located a safe relative and we facilitated his reunification.”
At Covenant House, we believe in our young people and provide them with the unconditional love, absolute respect, and vital services they deserve and need to thrive.
