This Week's News: 29 July, 2006

Foster Care

'Aging Out’ a Struggle as Some of Area’s Foster Youth Leave Home
The Western Star, OH - July 27, 2006
…In Ohio, about 1,200 children age out of foster care each year; including a handful from Warren County. When they do, they lose their state benefits and often have to get a job, health insurance and housing without the help of an adult. But many foster youth aren’t ready for that responsibility and struggle to make it on their own, according to a study released by Harvard Medical School late last year.

State Program Helps Foster Kids Transition into Adulthood
Helena Independent Record, MT – July 28, 2006
…“It used to be that when a foster child turned 18, they were given a stipend and shown the door,” Winters said. “This program provides a bridge from foster care to adulthood. It’s not intended to support foster youth. It’s to help them learn to support themselves.”

Foster Children Get Help Saving Money
Tampa Bay's 10, FL – July 29, 2006
Tampa, Florida - About 30 foster teenagers started learning the value of saving money today. They were taken to the Washington Mutual Bank on North Dale Mabry, where they made their first ever savings account deposit. It's part of a program called Eckerd Foundation's "Opportunity Passport", aimed at helping foster youth become economically self-sufficient.


Education

New Standards to Improve Accuracy of Dropout Rates
Republican American, CT – July 23, 2006
…Depending on what figures you look at now, numbers for the national dropout rate for high school students are all over the place, varying by up to 20 percent based on some statistics, according to Jack Jennings, the president of the Center on Education Policy in Washington, D.C. Some say 10 percent of high school students drop out, while others says that number is closer to 30 percent.

Texas Receives Federal Grant to Help With Dropout Rate
Brownsville Herald, TX – July 28, 2006
The U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday awarded the Texas Education Agency a $2.5 million federal grant to help prevent at-risk students from dropping out. The money will be used to address the needs of students at risk of not completing high school as well as students that have already dropped out and are returning to school, the TEA reported.

Bredesen Says 5-year Schools Could Stem Dropouts
WBIR-TV – TN – July 30, 2006
Governor Bredesen says a five-year high school program that bundles together a diploma with a community college degree could help stem dropout rates. Bredesen, who is running for re-election this fall, says he would use his second term to explore creating the program. He says if students spent two years earning an associate's degree while still in high school, they would be much better prepared to enter the job market after graduation.


Juvenile Justice

At-Risk Youth Will be Focus of New County Group
Gazette.Net, MD - July 26, 2006
African Americans make up a disproportionate number of children in the county’s juvenile services and court systems, special education programs and on the roll of students in need of assistance. On Tuesday, county government, schools and law enforcement officials pledged to find out why by agreeing to form the Interdisciplinary Group on At-Risk Children.

Study: 1 In 3 Youth Arrested Are Girl
News4Jax.com, FL – July 26, 2006
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville police said they're seeing a growing trend of more and more female offenders who are not adult women but girls on the wrong side of the law. Drugs and robberies have become more commonplace with girls.