The following resources are written for youth who are aging out of out-of-home care, providing practical information on topics that may be important as they transition to adulthood.
A Message about Your 90-Day Transition Plan for Success; Plan for Successful Transition; and Independent Living Services and Transition Plan for Young Adults (PDF - 143 KB)
Virginia Department of Social Services, UMFS, Project LIFE (2012)
Provides information about transition plans for Virginia children planning on transitioning out of foster care. Includes a list of rights and responsibilities of the youth and plans for successful transitions from foster care to independence.
Aging Out of Foster Care: Important Information for Teens (PDF - 795 KB)
Washington DC Children’s Law Center (2012)
Explains the key steps that foster care youth in the District of Columbia should take to prepare for transitioning from foster care to adulthood. Includes tips and a checklist on goal setting, attaining an identification card, saving money, creating education plans, and finding housing.
Foster Care to Success
Provides opportunities for foster youth to pursue college and postsecondary education; encourages citizens, businesses, and civic organizations to support older youth in foster care; and raises public awareness of the needs of older teens aging out of the foster care system.
Foster Youth in Transition
Michigan Department of Human Services (2013)
Includes information on issues relevant to current and former youth, as well as links to finding services and support. The website is updated by members of Michigan’s Youth Boards from across the state.
Earning My Success: Working with the Career Visions Project (PDF - 677 KB)
Portland State University. Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures & Focal Point (2013)
Provides an account from the perspective of a young adult who explains how the Career Visions Project, which focuses on career planning for young adults with serious mental health issues, helped her overcome barriers while she was in foster care.
Financial Empowerment Toolkit
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services (2014)
Includes links to practical tools for youth under the age of 18 and young adults preparing to transition out of foster care. Resources include Know Your Credit History: How to Interpret a Credit Report (PDF - 699 KB), Creating a Credit Profile: How To Build Your Credit (PDF - 652 KB) , and Protect Yourself and Your Stuff: What You Need to Know About Insurance (PDF - 766 KB).
I’m Getting Ready for my Next Move—Into Adulthood! (PDF - 1,741 KB)
American Academy of Pediatrics (2015)
Intended for older adolescents in foster care, this brochure provides information on aging out of the foster care system into adulthood. It reviews the development of a transition plan and key components, as well as the team that will help the youth prepare for transition.
Joining the Military: A Guide to Assist Foster Care Youth and their Caregivers in Navigating the Military Enlistment Process
National Resource Center for Youth Services (2014)
Provides information and resources about joining the military and highlights specific information about the implications of the process, requirements, and implications that decision may have for youth who have experience with foster care.
Keep in Touch: Young People Offer Advice on Staying Connected and Living Independently
National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth (2012)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Family Youth and Services Bureau
Illustrates experiences of adolescents who have experienced homelessness or who have been in foster care and offers advice to other youth on making the transition to independence.
Telling Your Money What to Do: The Young Adult's Guides (PDF- 503 KB)
Community of Practice, Northeast Massachusetts (2013)
Helps youth assess their spending and provides tips for budgeting, cutting down on spending, and managing money resources. The website also provides tools and worksheets for tracking income and expenses.
Things People Never Told Me: When You Start Living on Your Own from Foster Care, There Are Some Things in Life That People Seem to Forget to Tell You About (PDF- 853 KB)
U.S. Department of Education National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services, Portland State University, & Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures, Better Futures Project (2012)
Includes interviews with young adults who had navigated or are in the process of navigating the transition out of foster care. Details important areas of life such as finances, employment, health care, transportation, and relationships.