Drug or alcohol abuse or self harming the norm as the teen uses it to suppress painful memories. Sometimes the increased risk of attempted or successful suicide.
Why are young adults who have come from fostercare more likely to find the transition to adulthood harder?
This answer is simple to find yet for many addressing these issues they have done very little to acknowledge the cause and to improve it for upcoming children in the care system.
Permanency/Home For Life might build on belonging but the fact is these children have no real security.
Often it is what they have learned or experienced while in care, some will experience further abuse. Others the on going connection with unhealthy or dangerous parents. With mental illness (at a violent level) and drug abuse and/or violence, some of the often common reasons children were uplifted the issues of wether maintaining such a contact really outweighs the need to insure the children remain connected. Often within those same families are far more stable, safe individuals but access with them is not encouraged or maintained. Extended family are cut off or never contacted. The parents access is of such importance over all else. In some courts some parents maintain an access level, although supervised as much as once a week or fortnightly. Yet the child will never be returned to their care. Some parents continue to endanger the child during access, subjecting the child to further emotional abuse, risk of harm and even breaking down a secure placement (relationship with
past caregivers).
It should also be asked IF a child has more chance of being abused while in care then shouldn't uplift be seriously reconsidered?
Child Youth and Family seem to consider at this point the child no longer is at risk because the child is not under the parents roof.
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