Each year, about 50 young people age out of foster care in Erie County when they are 18 to 21 years old. Considered too old to need protection, they must navigate independence without a safety net. This abandonment leads to devastating and avoidable outcomes for foster care alumni who experience disproportionately high rates of arrest and incarceration, homelessness, unemployment, early pregnancy, and low academic achievement. Many live in unsafe housing conditions, facing instability and reoccurring traumatic situations that cause harm to their mental and physical health, even abuse and trafficking.

Featuring stories and insights from foster care alumni in Erie County, this report includes a brief grounding in the foster care system, examines poor outcomes for foster care graduates, looks at emerging policy solutions, and offers recommendations for Erie County and New York State.

Erie County should better support alumni youth after they leave the system.

Erie County adopted a new dedicated funding line of $400,000 in its 2024 budget to support programs for young people who recently aged out of foster care. In future budgets, this funding should be increased and adopted as a permanent budget line of at least $800,000.

In its 2025 Budget, Erie County should fund an information and resources hub to link foster care alumni to the supports they need.

After aging out, many young people in Erie County find themselves in a crisis with no one to assist them. Most youth exit foster care with a physical binder of information related to their transition and future needs. Considering the housing instability and frequent moves they will likely experience, this is not a practical tool to keep track of. A central hub of electronic resources should be available for youth existing care, as well as a friendly and accessible services hub they can call or visit in times of crisis or confusion.

New York State should extend foster care up to age 23.

Federal law allows for states to extend care for foster youth, but New York State has not applied to take advantage of those federal protections. The federal John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood supports and services to youth up to age 23. Currently, New York State has not opted in to serve youth between age 21 and 23. New York State should pursue this option immediately to secure the services that many counties are making accessible with their own funds rather than federal dollars. Providing additional time in foster care will help youth to be better prepared for independence and improve outcomes for youth exiting care.

Designate special places for foster care youth in affordable housing development projects.

Both the City of Buffalo and Erie County have recently announced plans for several affordable housing development projects, with funding from the federal American Rescue Plan. This housing creation should designate a certain number of units for foster care alumni due to the high rates of homelessness after aging out.

As Buffalo, Erie County, and New York State fund new affordable housing development, they should prioritize the creation of dedicated supportive housing for foster care alumni, where layered community supports can improve housing stability and long-term outcomes for these youth.

Read additional research, stories from foster care alumni, and recommendations in the policy report.

This report was drafted by Megan Battista, MSW, former intern at Partnership for the Public Good.

It is produced in partnership with Fostering Greatness Executive Director Dr. Leah Angel Daniel, who brought this policy change priority to PPG.

The report was edited by Caitlin Crowell, Community Researcher at PPG, and Andrea Ó Súilleabháin, Executive Director at PPG.

The author wishes to express her gratitude to the dozens of young people with foster care experience who shared their insights to inform this research and our recommendations. Their voices matter, and their stories and advocacy can lead us to better policy and programs for foster youth transitions.