By Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
TOPEKA — State officials this week announced that teens and young adults who are about to age out of the state’s foster care system are now being provided with photo IDs at no cost.
Currently, social workers make sure the teens have copies of their birth certificates and Social Security cards before they exit the system. But the teens are expected to pay for their driver’s licenses, which typically serve as their photo IDs when applying for jobs, enrolling in college or enlisting in the military.
“Children in foster care deserve every opportunity to succeed in life,” Gov. Sam Brownback said in a prepared statement. “This is one small way we can help ensure they are able to build the future they deserve. Having something as simple as a photo ID will be one less hurdle they will have to overcome.”
The initiative, which began earlier this month, is expected to cost about $10,000.
In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 331 teens and young adults aged out of state’s foster care system.
Theresa Freed, a spokesperson for the Kansas Department for Children and Families, said the agency expects 424 teens and young adults – ages 16 to 23 – to exit the system in the current fiscal year.
The department’s Independent Living program also offers grants for securing an apartment, financial aid for costs associated with going to school, help finding a job and health insurance until age 26.
In Kansas, teens who age out of foster care but have not yet turned 23 are eligible for free tuition at any state university, community college or Board of Regents-certified technical school.
Historically, DCF has not – and still does not – keep track of how children and young adults fare after exiting the system because they are no longer considered wards of the state.
In recent months, the numbers of foster children in what are called out-of-home placements, according to DCF reports, have reached record highs: 6,156 in April, 6,168 in May, 6,167 in June and 6,157 in July. The August number is not yet available.
Previously, the all-time high was 5,902 children in October 2007.
The system now has about 850 more children in out-of-home placements than it did two years ago, and 360 more than it did last year.