The wise proverb of most tribes across Africa, “It takes a village to raise a child,” has many implied meanings. Not only does this phrase impart the need for communal responsibility in raising well-rounded children, but it also implies that mistreating even one youth today can influence the misfortune of many tomorrow. Sadly, that concern is only more reasonable in modern times. A new study of more than 200,000 young adults found the next generation is not flourishing, seemingly unable to live with ideas of “significance, coherence and purpose” as easily as their predecessors.

While president of the charity First Star, my work and research has shown me how the foster care system appears to fail American youth especially. In fact, almost half of foster youth are homelessor incarcerated by age twenty-one. Statistics like these are insufferable, deserving more solutions. At First Star, leveraging the academic and community resources of twelve university partners in the USA, and three in the UK, we have found a way to fight the numbers. By housing, educating, and encouraging our high school-age scholars for four years on a college campus, they start to see what is possible beyond their previously low self-expectations.

Regretfully, without programs like ours, the opportunities available to foster kids look greatly diminished. Four years after “aging out,” when unadopted children turn eighteen and no longer qualify as their state government’s responsibility, the top half of these young adults earn $7,500 yearly, while the bottom half earn nothing. Realities like these need changing. The United States will fail to enable future engineers, journalists, lawyers, doctors or accountants now growing up in foster care if the status quo continues. 

After graduating from our program, youth have ambition, momentum, a skill set, and the surrogate family to achieve their best possible life outcomes. About 90% of these alumni pursue secondary education, compared with 10% of foster youth nationwide, showing us just how feasible the American Dream is when kids are put first. Allowing children to never earn some level of success leads this next generation toward a potential nightmare. At First Star, we refuse to accept this unnecessary current reality, this avoidable glass ceiling.

May was both National Foster Care Month and National Teen Self-Esteem Month. Let us ensure that young people have a larger importance in assessing national priorities. These kids may not yet vote, or march for their rights — how could they — and many of their most disenfranchised are left stranded and struggling. Only by enabling youth to find their own personal happiness, and be the best they can be, is our country able to do what is best for them, or for the country itself.

[Nick St. Sauveur edited this piece.]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.