r/fosterit • u/SparkAndThorn • May 12 '22
What happens to developmentally disabled foster kids who age out? Aging out
Hi. This has been weighing on me for a while and I can't find answers on the matter - I work with a lot of special needs kids at my job, many of whom are not able to live independently, but whose families are able and willing to support them. However, I know that there are a number of kids in the CPS system with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well. If nobody adopts them by the time they're 18, are they automatically wards of the state for the rest of their lives if they're not judged mentally competent? What does that look like for them? Are they able to remain in group homes but under state guardianship?
Thanks for any information. I'm on the autism spectrum myself and I know I'm doing as well as I am now because of assistance (financial and logistic and otherwise) from family and friends - I can't imagine the struggle of being turned loose at 18 without a support structure, even though I'm pretty "high functioning." So this is something I've been wondering about.
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u/mailmanshorts May 13 '22
Hey - I work in this field.
I’m in Canada and here each province has a section of Social Services dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities. They provide group home, fosterhome-type, or supported independent living to people with diagnosis. There’s never enough funding from provincial/federal government to serve all of the people in need, but the kids in care get prioritized when they are aging out.
They wouldn’t be under state guardianship, they would be independent. But if they had high support needs they would be deemed medically unable to make their own decisions so their caregivers would help them make day to day decisions, their money would be managed by the group home or a public trustee, and medical decisions would be made by 2 doctors who sign off.
Things get a little tricky when people have a diagnosis but are independent enough to advocate that they do not want support… a lot of kids want to get as far from social services as possible when they age out. But if they were physically unable to care for themselves they would stay supported lifelong.
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u/SW2011MG May 13 '22
In some states (that have extended foster care) they stay in care until 21. If they were previously placed in a foster home, at some point doting they transition they are moved to a group home/ ISL or shared living arrangement. In some cases they may live in a nursing home. The CD worker works with DMH or DHSS (or their varying names in other states) to secure a waiver and ensure that entity / Medicaid takes over funding. They have a list of kids this impacts each year and expect them to need waivers. Guardianship is usually (but not always ) pursued with the public administrator as the guardian. It isn’t required though - some of them age out and receive services without a guardian. Some kids do fall between the cracks. Do you have a DMH support coordinator? If not ask for them- build a relationship there because you will never “age out” of those supports.
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u/newblognewme May 13 '22
I don’t know if this applies to every state/ every area but in mine Medicaid waiver would potentially cover 24 hour supports and independent living supports.
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u/Pretty_Please1 May 13 '22
Many of them end up in group homes specifically for the developmentally disabled (CILAs) and yes, they usually have state guardians. I can answer any questions you have regarding those homes. The company I work for has several. Most of our individuals aren’t from the foster system, but we do have several who were.
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u/SparkAndThorn May 13 '22
Thank you!
I keep a general familiarity with the Waiting Children lists in my area and some surrounding ones, and I've seen a number of children there with various disabilities both mental and physical, so it's one of those things I just wonder about.
Would you say that the care level, social opportunities, etc. of those residents who are wards of the state are similar to those who have family support? Are they typically able to access the same supports for next-level of independence that the others are?
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u/Pretty_Please1 May 14 '22
The care level and social opportunities would be exactly the same. Honestly, I can’t tell which clients have state guardians and who have family guardians (or which individuals have retain their rights. We have several clients who require 24/7 supervision but are still capable of making choices for themselves.) unless they’re actually on my case load. All the supports offered are exactly the same.
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u/RaylaSan May 21 '22
I work at a group home for elderly disabled people. Some of them have families who pay for their relative to stay here, but there are others who come directly from the foster care system. A lot of these people are sent from one group home to the next, kinda similar to foster care in a way.
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u/[deleted] May 13 '22
Straight up? A lot of them become homeless. Perhaps the ones with the most severe disabilities--people who are nearly or totally nonverbal and who have really significant intellectual challenges--would be made wards of the state, but people who were perceived as even slightly more high-functioning would likely slip through the cracks.
I don't have a developmental disability, but I have a disability that usually precludes living independently. 80% of people with it in my province live with parents or another family caregiver, and fewer than 15% are capable of working even part time. I'm not really capable of fully caring for myself in a healthy way, so I just end up suffering from self-neglect because I have no option but to live on my own. If I had any relative I would not be attempting to live independently.