GREENSBORO, NC – More teenagers are aging out of foster care now in North Carolina than in the last 16 years, the Children's Home Society of North Carolina reports.
According to the society, recent figures show a 10.4 percent increase in youth who aged out of foster care in 2016 compared to 2015, the highest numbers since data was first recorded in mid-2000.
Children in foster care without a permanent family often face significant challenges transitioning into adulthood such as incomplete education, early parenthood, substance abuse, homelessness or even incarceration.
The Children's Home Society of North Carolina will hold banquets for those interested in learning more about foster care and the adoption crisis. A banquet will be held in Raleigh on April 27, Charlotte on May 11 and Greensboro on May 18. A current executive of Walgreen's, Steve Pemberton, will speak at the banquets about his experiences aging out of foster care. For more information, click here.