Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today emphasized the pressing needs of the 25,000 foster youth who are in transition or “aging out” of the foster care system each year as they struggle to further their education or obtain employment. Senator Clinton joined Senator Elizabeth Dole and the Orphan Foundation to host an event on Capitol Hill to mark the 12th Annual National Care Package Day, where 2,500 care packages will be prepared for foster youth who have aged out of foster care and are now attending colleges and universities in New York and across the country. Senator Clinton joined two former foster youth from New York in preparing a care package at the event: Amy Fustino, a Buffalo native and recent graduate of SUNY Fredonia; and Chantel Johnson, who grew up in Jamaica, Queens and is now a senior at Briarcliffe College on Long Island.

“For too many foster youth, the transition from foster care to independence is a difficult one because they lack the basic support that most young adults are able to take for granted. Without the love, support, resources and guidance that families provide, these young adults often run into hurdles that they can't clear, and that’s why efforts like National Care Package Day and the support of organizations like the Orphan Foundation are so important,” said Senator Clinton.

Senator Clinton noted the tremendous challenges facing former foster youth. As many as one in three foster youths become homeless soon after aging out of the foster care system. Fewer than 50 percent of foster youth graduate from high school and fewer than 10 percent go on to post-secondary education or vocational training.

For more than 30 years, Senator Clinton has been a champion of efforts to help children in foster care and those aging out of the foster care system. As First Lady of the United States, Senator Clinton led numerous efforts to increase awareness about and support for youth aging out of foster care, and to increase the number of children who are adopted out of foster care. Senator Clinton worked towards passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which has more than doubled the number of children adopted out of foster care, and the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999, which doubled funding for the Federal Independent Living Program and helps older foster care children earn a high school diploma, participate in vocational training or education, and learn daily living skills. The legislation also requires states to serve youth up to 21 years old, which enables more young people to obtain a college education and allows states to provide financial assistance to these youth as they learn skills to enter the workforce. Finally, the bill allows states to extend health insurance coverage under Medicaid for foster care youth to age 21.

In the Senate, Clinton has worked to further increase the number of adoptions out of foster care by providing additional incentives for adopting older children and those with special needs and increasing the Adoption Tax Credit. She also has introduced legislation with Senator Olympia Snowe that would support relative caregivers who often offer stable, loving homes to children who would otherwise be in foster care.

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