Foster Care to College: A Crisis WE Can Solve | Robert R. Duke | TEDxAzusaPacificUniversity

Foster youth who exit the system at 18 have less than a 4% chance to ever complete college. There is a 25% chance they will be homeless. Higher education administration and faculty need to be part of the solution by rethinking local engagement in order to help this group of youth be prepared, apply, and complete college.

Dr. Robert Duke has been a foster parent since 2011. During that time, he has served on the Director's Council for the Department of Children and Family Services in Los Angeles County, which serves the largest community of foster children in the nation. He also received grant funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles to organize an interfaith foster care summit for clergy in Los Angeles County in 2014. Additionally, Robert currently serves as the dean of the School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University.

[karlasanchez]

I am a former and current foster . And I am that little percent that’s going to college . It is very difficult believe me, this inspiring individual knows what is going on with our system .

[elenakudryavtseva]

I am a former Russian orphan youth and and former american foster youth. Orphanage system is much different than foster youth. I've survived both. All I can say it corrupted. It needs to change. Used to be stereotyped for being a orphan. People assumed I was mentally screwed up and had no potential. I had no collage on my radar. My constant thinking was questing weather I was going to survive the next day. I'm not ashamed of my past but IAM a proud graudate and moving on to Masters degree. Anything is possible!!!

[rubychew]

The school should counsel a "foster child" into a college prep program. The kids need a stable home because they move around too much. These kids should be able to stay in the system up to age 22 because they need a place to live. The foster care system ages kids out of the system at age 18. Many of these kids are homeless.

[feliciawilson]

This is me...I am a former foster youth, a first gen college student and already have my A.A. I am currently in my last semester at my local University and about to get my BSW which is a Bachelor's in Social Work. Yes it is very hard for foster youth to get help for college but there are many paths that a youth can take to get that help. There are many grants that will help them but many aren't shown how to take that step.

[jessicademartini]

As a former foster youth, it is hard to go to school. We hate that these statistics are so low but no one understands why. I was in about 10 different foster homes due to many families just becoming foster families for the money, every school I moved to there curriculum was different from the previous schools I attended so it was impossible to catch up. And some schools that you attend will not give you full credits if you are not there long enough. So I lost so many credits due to that. Another problem is the shortage of homes there are. If I was being moved and there wasn't a foster home available, I would be put in a group home. When being in a group home, you are put in a continuation school most of the time and those credits you receive there only count for community college. I am going to college currently and let me tell you it is hard trying to understand things you never learned in a quick pace. So yes listen to the statistics but also understand where the foster youth is coming from...

[nikkihubbard]

This is a great Ted talks are you aware that in the event like myself a parent dies while you enter foster care that survivor benefits from Social Security go to instead of the child to foster care when foster care already receives federal benefits for each foster child when I’ve done my research I have concluded that this is against federal law… So much so the government employees a private agency to seek out most profitable foster children… Essentially foster care is a business Social Security is awareness as well as social services DCYF whatever it is referred to in your state .. I actually do have the name of that private company employed by the government… Sensually federal government chooses to look away when it is in fact against federal law.