Transition, Not Abandonment

It’s obvious to parents that children do not instantly become independent upon turning 18. This reality, however, appears lost on many of California’s county foster care systems, which closely watch over kids until they turn 18, then abruptly “emancipate” or discharge them.

Going out on one’s own is tough for anyone, but especially for the 1,000 young people who annually leave the Los Angeles County foster care system. Their early years are difficult; the overburdened system often has no choice but to shift children from one foster home or foster care facility to another. So when they are emancipated at 18, many find it hard to cope with newfound freedom. Officials say almost half end up on the streets within six months.

What’s needed is transitional housing that provides monthly allowances for food and expenses and daily courses in skills of modern life, like balancing a checkbook or writing a resume. And that, fortunately, is exactly what is done by the new Margarita Mendez Apartments. A complex of townhouses on Los Angeles’ Eastside, the Mendez Apartments house young people for up to 18 months, provided they work or go to school full-time and save 10% of their monthly income.

Built with a $1.1-million federal grant, the apartments are only a small step toward solving the county’s youth social problems. But along with the $632 million in federal funds that the county received earlier this month to overhaul its health care system, the apartments symbolize growing success in persuading Washington that Los Angeles County’s first steps toward solutions are sure-footed.