Aging Out Fair
JLOSH is proud to partner with the Junior League of Montclair-Newark; the Rutgers University School of Law – Newark; Court Appointed Special Advocates of Essex County; and the Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex County, Family Part, to sponsor annual Education and Career Fairs for youth ages 16 – 21 who will soon age out of foster care.  The goal of this program is to help prepare these teens and young adults for the transition from foster care to independence by educating them about their rights and entitlements, providing important information about education and career planning, and encouraging youth to advocate for themselves.

According to the independent policy organization Advocates for Children in New Jersey, there were 7,537 youth in out-of-home placements across the state in 2010.  Over 1,200 of these were in Essex County.  This population is at high risk for educational deficits, economic insecurity, homelessness, early child-bearing, and other adverse outcomes.

To date, an estimated 600 foster youth from Essex County have attended the Education and Career Fairs, which are accompanied by “Aging Out; Don’t Miss Out” workshops led by staff and students of the Rutgers Law School.  Youth have found the program very helpful, commenting: “The best thing about the program was learning about scholarships for school…” and “I learned a lot of things I didn’t know about DYFS and programs available to me.” 

Superior Court Judge Sallyanne Floria remarked in 2011, “Aging Out Seminars provide an opportunity for youth who are leaving the child welfare system to learn about community based organizations which offer support in the areas of education, employment, finance and social assistance. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of the Junior League, over thirty local organizations participated in the successful event in Essex County.”

To learn more about the Education and Career Fairs, please see the following:

PowerPoint Presentation: What happens when you 'age out' of foster care?

NJ.com article: Junior League offers information fair for teens in foster care

connected article: What happens when you 'age out' of foster care?