#state care

[ex-foster]

Common issues for former foster kids who aged out of the system:

1. A significant number face challenges in finding stable housing.

2. Higher rates of homelessness are observed among this population.

3. The transition to independence can be abrupt and overwhelming.

4. Many aging-out foster youth lack a support system.

5. Mental health issues may persist due to the trauma experienced in foster care.

6. Employment difficulties are common among individuals aging out of foster care.

7. Educational attainment is often lower for those who age out of foster care.

8. Limited access to higher education is a barrier for many.

9. The likelihood of experiencing poverty is elevated.

10. Some face difficulties accessing essential life skills.

11. Former foster youth may struggle with self-identity and belonging.

12. The foster care experience can impact their sense of trust.

13. The stigma associated with foster care can be a barrier to success.

14. Many aging-out foster youth lack guidance on financial literacy.

15. The trauma of separation can affect emotional regulation.

16. Legal emancipation does not always equate to emotional readiness.

17. Limited exposure to positive role models can hinder personal development.

18. The lack of a consistent educational environment affects academic performance.

19. Limited access to extracurricular activities impacts skill development.

20. Some aging-out foster youth may experience a sense of abandonment.

21. Peer relationships can be challenging due to differing life experiences.

22. Aging-out foster youth may face challenges in obtaining legal documents.

23. Former foster youth may have a heightened awareness of societal issues.

24. The experience of foster care can impact one's ability to trust authority.

25. Former foster youth may struggle with self-advocacy.

26. Aging-out foster youth may grapple with feelings of unworthiness.

27. Legal emancipation does not erase the emotional scars of foster care.

28. The stigma of being a "ward of the state" affects self-esteem.

29. The foster care experience can contribute to a sense of powerlessness.

30. Many aging-out foster youth desire connection and a sense of belonging.

[thoughtlessarse]

Developmentally disabled Missourians suffer abuse, death in state's dysfunctional system • Missouri Independent

From 2017 through 2023, roughly 2,680 Missourians with developmental disabilities died under the care of the state.

After Ronald Scheer was found suffocated to death by the straps of his own wheelchair, an autopsy determined his cause of death was “hanging.” Scheer, a man with developmental disabilities and mobility issues who used a wheelchair, was living at the state-run St. Louis Developmental Disabilities Treatment Center in St. Charles in June 2020 when one of his caretakers allegedly failed to secure all the safety belts keeping him in his wheelchair, according to court documents in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his legal guardian. Then, the caretaker allegedly left Scheer alone despite the fact that his prescribed care plan required them to check in on him every 30 minutes and reposition him every two hours. During that time, Scheer reportedly slipped down the wheelchair, his neck fell into one of the straps and he suffocated. Scheer’s caretakers were not held responsible for his death because a court ruled that, as public employees, they were immune from civil suits regarding negligence on the job. But Scheer is not the only Missourian with disabilities whose death raised troubling questions. A review of state records, court documents and department policies, as well as interviews with frontline employees working in the state, reveal a dysfunctional developmental disability system riddled of accusations of abuse, neglect, and in some cases, concerning deaths. From 2017 through 2023, 74 people with developmental disabilities died in some sort of accident while in state care, according to state records obtained by the River City Journalism Fund. Additionally, nine homicides and seven suicides occurred amongst this population during that time, according to the records. Another 2,200 died of natural causes and 392 had an “undetermined” cause of death. In total, from 2017 through 2023, 2,682 people with developmental disabilities died under the care of the state of Missouri — on average, one person every day. 

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[whytehousetv]

Patient Under State Care Infested With Maggots The maggot infestation of a severely disabled New York man offers a rare glimpse into the often-secretive probes of neglect in state-run institutions.

[processingbackwards-blog]

Kinship care

Every night at 8 o’clock The phone rings I creep to the top of the stairs Gazing down into the darkness Maria picks up the phone Tells mum I’m in bed I’m not. And I won’t be, until nine I’m 10, it’s almost Christmas I haven’t been allowed to see My mother for 2 months, And Maria’s beginning to get bored of me.

- C.A.K (this was written Christmas 2004, age 10) before 2010 (this makes me between 10 to 16 at time of writing, these are poems from a child, please remember that before you comment if you wish to critique be positive or look at my more stuff and comment on that. The child me would not have wanted these older poems edited, please respect that.)

[theirishtimes-blog]

Dead at 14

JUST OVER a year after entering the State’s care system, Devlin Kavanagh was dead. He was 14 years old. He had taken his own life, the final act of a turbulent year and a half in which his life had spun dramatically out of control.

[greenchestnuts]

TW Ableism, neglect, death.

"James Taylor’s death was no aberration.

In New York, it is unusually common for developmentally disabled people in state care to die for reasons other than natural causes.

One in six of all deaths in state and privately run homes, or more than 1,200 in the past decade, have been attributed to either unnatural or unknown causes, according to data obtained by The New York Times that has never been released."