Poor Educational Achievement and Opportunities for Foster Youth

1880 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essays on how foster care affects children indirectly

“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life”(Plato). Plato’s assessment was accurate, because the importance of learning enables individuals to put their potentials to optimal use. The foster care system can handicap the educational achievement of children. This handicap can follow those children beyond the scholastic world and into the professional world. Today, seventy percent of teens that break away from foster care report that they want to attend college, but less than fifty percent graduate from high school. Fewer than twenty percent of those who graduate from high school actually enroll in college, and of those less than three-percent graduate with a degree. Post emancipation, fifty percent are unemployed, forty-percent are on public assistance, twenty-five percent become homeless, and twenty-percent are incarcerated at least once (Assessing the effect). Constant relocation from facility to facility results in a lack of stability and consistency in foster children’s lives. This lack of stability can translate into poor performance in school. To achieve higher graduate rates, education institutions should attempt to facilitate the scholastic dreams of foster children. Thus, Riverside City College (RCC) can enable foster children to reach higher levels of academic success by offering priority registration as it does with the disabled, military personnel, and veterans.

On January 25, 2011, United States President, Barack Obama emphasized during his State of the Union Address, the importance of higher education; urging more Americans to get college degrees (Browne). Higher education can lead to prestigious careers, higher salaries, and overall serves as the gateway to better life opportunit...

... middle of paper ...

...21." San Francisco Bay Area —

News, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Classifieds: SFGate. Hearst Communications

Inc., 07 Jan. 2011. Web. 05 Feb. 2011.

Governor of California. One Stops. Building California Construction Careers - Home. Apr.

2003. Web. 05 Feb. 2011.

John Burton Foundation. "Emancipating Foster Youth: A Compilation of Statistics." Ballantines

Consulting. Every Child Foundation, May 2006. Web. 05 Feb. 2011.

Penn, Ben. "Governor Schwarzenegger Signs AB 12 into Law « Covenant Media." Covenant

Media Now. 30 Sept. 2010. Web. 04 Feb. 2011.

Plato. "Plato Quote-The Direction in Which Education Starts a Man Will Determine His Future

Life...." Famous Quotes and Inspirational Quotes of Wisdom! IWise.com. Web. 04 Feb.

2011.

Shimotsu, Susan. "Fate Of AB 12 Uncertain As Deadline Looms." Neontommy. USC

Annenberg., 29 Sept. 2009. Web. 05 Feb. 2011.

Show More
Related

  • The Need for Change: The Harmful Effects of the Foster Care System

    910 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the biggest misconceptions that we have in our country is that foster care is a great thing; well, it’s not. There are so many flaws in our foster care system to even consider it a good idea. With constant reports of abuse, depression, lack of stability, to even the terrible after effects of the foster care system, like homelessness and incarceration; the foster care system hurts more than it helps. Our foster care system is bad for America, but most of all, our children.

    Read More

  • Summary: The Imperiled Promise Of College By Frank Bruni

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bruni begins by describing the golden promise of college as it appeared for baby boomers. In that time getting into college and completing a degree was enough to be successful. He acknowledges that this idealized vision of college may be inaccurate, however, he asserts that the issue is far more “complicated” than it once was. Bruni makes use of a recent (2012) debate over student loan interest rates in the U.S. to explore the issues surrounding college education today. While rising student debt is certainly part of the problem he suggests that the issue extends beyond that. College is now a “luxury item with newly uncertain returns” (Bruni). While rising costs make college a luxury item that not everyone will be able to afford, even those who can and do manage to go to college are not guaranteed success.

    Read More

  • Summary: Is College Worth It?

    696 Words  | 2 Pages

    The experience college can give is remarkable. College is a valuable experience because individuals who attend will have a lower chance of being unemployed, will be in better health, and paying off debts will be possible! Unemployment is on the rise, always trying to be avoided. By obtaining a degree, the chance of being out of work is reduced. Baum, Ma, & Payea (2013) claim, “The 2012 unemployment rates for 25- to 34-year-olds were 9.6% for those with some college but no degree and 7.2% for those with associate degrees” (p.20).

    Read More

  • The History and Progression of the Foster Care System

    2496 Words  | 5 Pages

    This paper will contain research done about foster care, including a brief history and progressing along to the system today. This research interested me because it is a professional career option after graduation. I found both positives and negatives about the foster care system that children and foster parents go through on a daily basis. As the paper progresses I will be explaining these positives and negatives in more detail. Throughout the paper I will be referencing different scholarly sources that explain foster care in different ways. Overall, this paper will show different aspects that the general public may never know about foster care.

    Read More

  • Globalization: The Case for Contamination an Article by Kwame Appiah

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Okpych, : Nathanael. "Policy Framework Supporting Youth Aging-out of Foster Care through College."Children Youth Service Review (2012): n. pag. Science Direct. Web.

    Read More

  • History and Overview of Foster Care in America

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    There is nearly 400,000 children in out-of-home care in the United States right now (Children’s Right). Just about every day children are being shipped in and out of foster homes and group homes. Most people want the best for children in foster care and decide to take care of them until their parents can possibly recover. The foster care system can have both a negative or positive effect on children, foster parents, and biological parents because of the gaps in the system. Foster cannot not be avoided but the some aspects of the foster care system can be avoided if the missing gaps were filled.

    Read More

  • Foster Youth Essay

    1401 Words  | 3 Pages

    Low educational achievement for foster youth was a pressing concern. A study completed by Ehrle and Geen (2002) using a phone survey of 44,000 foster care providers across the United States found that 55% of voluntary kinship care providers did not have a high school degree, this indicated that may care providers lack the knowledge and understanding to help foster youth be prepared academically. After studying over 1000 foster youth Pecora et al (2006) found, about one third of all foster youth repeated a grade in school. In addition, Vacca (2007) identified reasons that foster youth struggled in the school setting. “Foster youth will typically not have any consistent parent advocacy or representative in the creation and implementation of the educational plan for graduation” (p. 67). With primary and secondary education a struggle for foster youth, it was no surprise that higher education was not something foster youth had been prepared for. In a combination survey and interview study titled “Pathways to College for Former Foster Youth: Understanding Factors That Contribute to Educational Success” Merdinger, Hines, Osterling, and Wyatt (2005) studied more than 200 former foster youth and found that “overall 63.8 percent [of former foster youth] reported that the foster care system did not prepare them very well for college” (p.

    Read More

  • Foster Care System Essay

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    To many outsiders, the foster care system may appear to be a safe haven for those children that are abused or abandoned by their birth family. This is correct, but the system with which it is based, has many flaws. A background check is mandatory for all foster parents, but a test to see if a child 's temperament matches that caregiver 's parenting style, is not. Now, this is seen as a minor issue, but there is not enough evidence to support this. Plus, there are many other, much worse reasons, why the system is not perfect. Altogether, the foster care system and a multitude of its rules are flawed and may actually be negatively affecting foster children.

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Owen And Sawhill's Essay: Should Everyone Go To College

    896 Words  | 2 Pages

    (Owen and Sawhill 208) After all, if our country’s leader is preaching about college being a good thing, it should reflect the views of a majority of people in this country. They then continue to try to make connections with the audience by emphasizing that this is a “we” problem and by recognizing that the decision to go off to college is not an easy one for everybody. These first words in the essay demonstrate a call to the ethos of President Obama and clear cut pathos to bring the authors down to the same level as their audience; However, the rest of the essay is absolutely dominated by

    Read More

  • Is College Worth the Expense?

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the years, America has always debated whether education is needed- if it helps people succeed or not. The argument in the past was always over high school education, which is now mandatory. That decision has helped the US rise economically and industrially. Today, the US is in the middle of the same debate- this time, over college. Some, like David Leonhardt, a columnist for the business section of The New York Times, think a college education creates success in any job. Others, such as Christopher Beha, an author and assistant editor of Harper’s Magazine, believe that some college “education” (like that of for-profit schools) is a waste of time, and can even be harmful to students. Each stance on this argument has truth to it, and there is no simple answer to this rising issue in an ever changing nation full of unique people. Any final decision would affect the United States in all factions- especially economically and socially. However, despite the many arguments against college, there is overwhelming proof that college is good for all students, academically or not.

    Read More

  • Blanche D. Blank's A Question Of Degree

    1027 Words  | 3 Pages

    College is the place where people go to retain the necessary training for a job that requires specific skills, which results in earning a higher pay check. In today’s world, employers are scouting out for individuals with the proper dexterities to fill the shoes for that specific job. Blanche D. Blank, the author of “A Question of Degree," argues that possessing a degree of higher education isn’t the only way to have a very successful life. This statement is highly argumentative, due to the fact that college graduates still out-earn people without degrees. Obtaining a college degree is one of the best things someone can do for themselves, when it comes to looking for a stable job. There is also so much more to college than just receiving a

    Read More

  • The Negative Impact Of Foster Care On Children As A Social Problem

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    Problems in the society such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, unequal education, family and community violence, and racism all can affect families and impact child welfare and the system itself (Chipungu and Goodley, pp. 76, 2004) There is often a incongruity between the services being offered to children and families in foster care and what they actually need. One example that Chipungu and Goodley (2004) made was birth parents being offered training and counseling when services such as housing assistance and childcare are more critically needed but not available (pp. 79).

    Read More

  • Why I Want to Pursue a Higher Education

    882 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United States gives everyone an opportunity to get a college degree. On top of the college opportunities give a great chance for jobs after the college education. Many foreigners come to the United States to get an education but they also tend to stay here, due to the job opportunities. In 2009 President Barak Obama put in a community college initiative to increase the college graduate level in the United States. In an article titled “Obama Plans Community-College Initiative”, Obama told reporters that twelve billion dollars was going towards community colleges. The goal of the initiative to have more college graduates than in recent years and to also put the United States number one in college graduates.

    Read More

  • High Tuition

    2062 Words  | 5 Pages

    The ability to gain a degree in any field of study is highly important in American society, possessing skills and knowledge over your job emphasizes the significance of higher education. Especially, for job promotions that would cause someone to make more than their fellow colleagues. In our increasingly competitive economic society, having the minimal of a high school diploma is not enough to provide financial stability nor will it help to compete in a workforce in which the best-educated are the ones that are rewarded the most. Therefore, higher education is a crucial necessity in order to move up the socioeconomic ladder and qualify for higher paying jobs. The rising costs of college, however, is making it harder for Americans to obtain

    Read More

  • College Education is the Best Investment

    1413 Words  | 3 Pages

    By attending college, students guarantees themselves a better job that the average Joe. Because the world is changing rapidly, and many jobs rely on new technology, more jobs require education beyond high school. With a college education, an individual will have more jobs from which to choose. In addition to obtaining a better job, people who go to college usually earn more money than those who do not. College furnishes you with proper credentials and documents to land high-level jobs. Figures from an A&E television program on ‘The Working Class’ show that in 2004 the average earnings were $23,895 for a high school graduate and $41,478 for individuals with a bachelor’s degree. Getting a college education is simply a stepping stone in ensuring yourself with a good start in life. Some may agree that college students are open minded and knows exactly how to expre...

    Read More

More about Poor Educational Achievement and Opportunities for Foster Youth

Open Document