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10/12/2023
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Op-Ed: Tuition waivers for foster kids is the right thing to do
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By Rep. Julie A. Casimiro and Darlene Allen
Most of us are fortunate enough not to know what it’s like to be a foster kid. Without first-hand experience, it is difficult to imagine the fears, stress, anxiety, and the trauma that these children experience when they enter the foster care system. And many of us are unaware of the challenging odds that foster kids face to succeed and live happy and healthy adult lives after they age-out of the system.
In 2020, Adoption Rhode Island partnered with URI to conduct research on the educational and workforce outcomes of Rhode Island’s foster care population and data confirmed that educational attainment amongst Rhode Island’s foster youth is very low. Additional data published by RIDE in 2022 confirmed that not only do foster youth have low high school graduation rates, but they also have dismal college graduation rates. Approximately 50% of foster youth graduate high school and less than 3% complete college. These low rates correlate with higher use of social services, higher unemployment, and higher rates of homelessness and criminal justice involvement. In fact, in a recent Annie E. Casey Foundation report on youth transitioning out of foster care, one in five experience homelessness between the ages of 17-19, one in five reports being incarcerated between ages 17-19 and just 57% report being employed at age 21.
And for those children in foster care who do go on to college, the financial challenges they face as students often causes them to struggle to meet their basic needs. They are more likely to be food insecure and face housing insecurity and many do not have a support network or family members to rely on for help. Foster youth also face mental, physical, and emotional challenges at higher rates than their non-foster college-bound peers. Foster youth have very high rates of exposure to trauma and many, unfortunately suffer from Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sadly, studies show that foster youth are three times more likely to consider suicide than non-foster youth. While these youth and young adults face numerous challenges and obstacles, with help, success is possible and we must understand that if foster youth are to thrive in college and beyond, they will need targeted support before, during, and for a transition period, after college.
This is why we are proposing a pilot program at Rhode Island state colleges and universities to waive tuition, room and board costs for Rhode Island foster youth interested in attaining a degree.
More than half of the states in the country recognize this serious problem and have statewide tuition waivers. Research demonstrates that tuition waivers work and Rhode Island needs to join their ranks. Our numbers of foster youth in this state may be low, but the long-term impact of this investment in them is high.
If we truly care about our children in foster care, the state needs to implement a tuition waiver pilot program this year. These children and young adults deserve the best possible opportunities to succeed later in life and this is not possible if they cannot afford to continue their educations. By including a tuition waiver pilot program in the state budget, we will be giving these children hope for a better future while keeping them from becoming just another tragic statistic.
Rep. Julie A. Casimiro, a Democrat, represents District 31 in North Kingstown and Exeter. She serves as the Chairwoman of the House Oversight Subcommittee on Children and Families. Darlene Allen is the CEO and Executive Director of Adoption Rhode Island.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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