Foster Kids Age Out Into Nothing: How to Change That

About this episode

Stacy Johnson shares her experience of aging out of foster care and discusses how to improve the system for future kids.

At 16 years old, Stacy Johnson emancipated herself from foster care. No family. No safety net. No one waiting. Just herself and everything she'd survived across 9 homes since the age of 2. She was one of the thousands of kids who age out of the system every year not into a family — but into a trash bag of belongings and a birthday that marks the end of any support at all. She could have become a statistic. Instead she built a table — literally and figuratively — and she's changing what happens to kids the system was never designed to catch. This episode will break your heart and then put it back together stronger. You'll learn: 🏠 What really happens when foster kids turn 18 💔 How nine rejections reshape a child 📸 Why missing childhood photos erase identity 🤝 Real help versus help that feels good 🌱 Why stability matters more than perfection ⚡ How one believer can change a life CONNECT WITH STACY JOHNSON!🌐 Website: https://centraltexastableofgrace.org/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ctxtableofgrace/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacyjohnsoncttg/▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfslCz6QHd-Nm1KkCqFMDsw🐦 X: https://x.com/CTXTableOfGrace 📘…

People in this episode

Host: Stacey Chillemi

Guest: Stacy Johnson

Topics covered

• foster care
• emancipation
• child welfare
• identity
• support systems
• stability

Keywords

• foster kids
• emancipation
• support
• identity
• childhood
• stability
• rejection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Central Texas Table of Grace

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