4A
NEWS / WEDNESDAY. MARCH 24, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
FOSTER CARE (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
3. 1
Matt Hudson became the longest acting member of the Kansas Youth Advisory Council, which works to help foster children. He attended the University and is now studying law at Washburn University in Topeka.
Luckily, Christie had some help navigating along the way. Kansas is one of the 18 states that offers a college tuition waiver for students who grew up in the foster care system, according to the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development. This year, 13 students at the University took advantage of the Kansas Foster Care Educational Assistance program, which waives tuition for qualifying students for up to eight semesters at an accredited state college.
"I look back on my life and think, 'Wow, what an amazing ride,' Christie said. "Through all the difficulties of being a foster child, it was worth it because it made me who I am today."
ON YOUR OWN
Howard Ting/KANSAN
Everybody remembers the day they moved to college. For Christie and Matt Hudson, that day came in the fall of 2005. Matt, who was placed in the foster system when he was 14, also graduated in 2009.
Moving day is a nervous and exciting experience for any college student, even for those accustomed to fending for themselves. On that day in 2005, after parents finished unloading the vans and said their goodbyes, "typical" students crossed paths with Matt and Christie on the road to independence. And although students who grew up in the foster care system may be "typical" in most ways, there is one big difference. The path they navigate has drastically different road conditions.
Without a traditional family support system, Matt and Christie developed their own families from the friends they met at the University.
"Everyone has stressful weeks and stressful situations," Christie said. "It just magnifies the stress of anything because you're doing it with less support and all these other things to worry about."
"I was able to pick and choose who I trusted ... I don't have a cure-all person for all my problems, but there's always someone I know I can go to for almost anything," Christie said.
Matt and Christie said the pitfall of a custom-made support system was the fear of those worst-case scenarios, the kind that no one thinks can happen to them. In times of serious trouble or trauma, most students can turn to parents. But what if the student is estranged from his or her parents?
"A lot of college kids don't talk to their parents all the time." Matt said. "But, when things are going bad, that's when they turn to them for help or support."
Although his friends make up most of his support system, Matt said he formed relationships with adults he could trust as well.
"Anything that gets in the way of that storybook college experience is tough to talk to your friends about," Matt said.
PROFESSIONAL PARENTS
jayme Metzenhin, the independent living program manager for Kansas SRS: Children and Family Services, said that finding an adult mentor who could partly fill the role of a parent was one of the biggest challenges facing foster youth preparing to live on their own. She said that any reliable adult could fulfill this role, but it was often a foster parent, relative or teacher.
Some independent living programs and services require mentors. Other foster youth are encouraged to find them on their own.
"The kids that have been the most successful are the ones that have a positive influence in their lives." Metzenthin said.
the most difficult challenges for foster children in college. Calling up parents to ask for money isn't an option. Their support system of friends is of little fiscal assistance. And even adult mentors have their limits.
Financial problems pose one of
"The most stressful times
of my college career were the ones where I had to balance academics and my budget," Matt said. "And it's not like no one else might have these situations, but for us there are so many factors that make it different."
especially for former foster children who are used to standing on their own. Christie said she felt like she could never really ask for money from her extended relatives, and borrowed no more than $200 during college. Asking her extended relatives for more was pointless because she already knew the answer
It can be difficult to esk for money from anyone other than family
"Rather than my parents asking
"Everyone has stressful weeks and stressful situations. It just magnifies the stress of anything because you're doing it with less support ..."
CHRISTIE JONES Alumna and former foster child
parents asking
how much
money I needed
when I was
in trouble,
they would
sit me down
and say, 'Well,
what are you
spending your
mon on and
how are we
going to trim
your budget?'*
she said
And while she probably would have taken a blank check had it been offered, Christie said, she now knows that it was the only way she was going to learn a lesson. "Now, I'm really glad it turned out the way it did," Christie said. "It made me that much stronger and more responsible."
Casey Spencer is the independent
NUMBER OF STUDENTS
IN THE FOSTER CARE
EDUCATIONAL
ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM
Fall 2003: 1
Spring 2004: 1
Fall 2004: 4
Spring 2005: 4
Fall 2005: 7
Spring 2006: 6
Fall 2006: 9
Spring 2007: 7
Fall 2007: 13
Spring 2008: 11
Fall 2008: 12
Spring 2009: 13
Fall 2009: 13
Spring 2010: 13
Source: Office of the University Registrar
Contributed Photo
Matt Hudson, who graduated from the University in 2009, grew up in Maine. But after his parents' divorce he moved to Oklahoma, Iowa, Louisiana and Kansas. He entered the foster system when he was 14 and moved from Pittsburgh to Humburtburgh, and eventually back to Humburtburgh.