The Case for Providing Guaranteed Income to Kids Aging Out of Foster Care

Many young adults are struggling financially, especially in the wake of economic devastation brought by COVID-19. Becoming independent is difficult, and many people in their early 20s are relying on their families for financial support and often a place to live. However, not all young people have this safety net. In 2018, 437,000 youth aged out of the foster care system, left to fend for themselves. A new article argues that state and local governments could make a big difference for these young people—who already experienced worse outcomes as adults than their peers before COVID—by providing a regular stipend as they transition from child welfare systems to life as independent adults.