Foster care youth who are aging out of the system manage life amid COVID-19 outbreak

Foster youth who depend on services, and are aging out of the system say they face an even more difficult time because of the pandemic.

WEEK FOLLOWING THESTATE STAY-AT-HOME ORDER, AS THECOVID-19 VIRUS CHANGESHOW WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN,RESTAURANTS CHANGING FROMDINE-IN SERVICE TO TAKE OUTONLY.

STATE AND LOCAL OFFICESHAVE ALSO CHANGED THE WAY THEYDO BUSINESS, BUTFOSTER YOUTH WHO DEPEND ON THEIRSERVICES AND ARE AGINGOUT OF THE SYSTEM SAY THEY FACEAN EVEN MORE DIFFICULTTIME BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC...23ABC'S IMANI STEPHENS SHARESHOW TWO LOCAL FOSTERYOUTH ARE WORKING-AROUND THELIMITED RESOURCESBECAUSE OF CLOSURES....JESS, OFFICIALS WITH THE KERNCOUNTY DEPARTMENT OFHUMAN SERVICES SAY THEY ARECONTINUING TO PROVIDERESOURCES FOR FOSTER CARE YOUTH,THE SERVICES AREEITHER VIA PHONE OR THROUGHVIDEO CONFERENCING...BUT TODAY THE FOSTER YOUTH ISPOKE WITH SAY THAT'S NOTENOUGH...."IT'S AFFECTING ME AND A LOT OFOTHERFOSTER YOUTH.

JUST NOT FEELINGLIKE WE HAD THAT SOLID SUPPORT,NOTFEELING LIKE, WE CAN MANAGE ALLTHESE THINGS BECAUSE IT IS, IT'SSTRESSFUL"ROBERTSON, LIKE MANY FOSTER CAREYOUTH -- WHO ARE AGINGOUT OF THE SYSTEM, NOW HAVE TONAVIGATE LIFE WITH LIMITEDRESOURCES BECAUSE OF CLOSURESDUE TO THECORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK...."WELL IT'S BEEN A HECTIC,BECAUSEBEING IN FOSTER CARE, YOU'REALREADY FACING A LOT OFINSTABILITY ASIT IS JUST BEING IN THE SYSTEM"ACCORDING TO THE KERN COUNTYDEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,FOSTER YOUTH OVER 18 WILLCONTINUE TO RECEIVERESOURCES SUCH AS MEDI-CALELIGIBILITY, FREE TECHNOLOGYOPTIONS, ASSISTANCE WITH FOODRESOURCES, ANDFINANCIAL SUPPORT PER AB- 12REQUIREMENTS.BUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECTWITH THEIR PEERS, ANDPARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS GEAREDTOWARD HELPING FOSTERCARE YOUTH WITH RESOURCES SUCHAS FINDING A JOB....THEY SAY ISNO LONGER AN OPTION"I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, AND I FEELLIKE A LOT OF OTHER FOSTER YOUTHWE'RE GOING TO BE AGING OUTWHILE THIS ISHAPPENING IS THAT MY INITIALPLAN WAS TO HEAD OUT TO JOBCORPS BECAUSE IDIDN'T WANT TO BE HOMELESS.

ANDI TOLD MYSELF I DIDN'T WANT TOEND UP ONDRUGS SELLING DRUGS OR INPRISON...""I WASN'T JUST PLANNING ON JUSTTURNING 24 AND THEN, YOU KNOW,GIVING UP, IT WAS GOING TO BETURNING 24 ANDGOING INTO THE JOB CORPSPROGRAM.

BUT THE COVID IS MAKINGTHE JOB CORPS NOTAVAILABLE RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RETELLING EVERYBODY THEY'RECLOSED, UNTILFURTHER NOTICE.OFFICIALS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OFHUMAN SERVICES SAY ALLCHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE WILLCONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TOTELE-HEALTH FOR MENTAL HEALTHSERVICES, AND IN-PERSON HELPIS PROVIDED AS NEEDED...."SO ONE OF THE THINGS WITH YOUTHAS WE KNOW THAT NEEDS OFTEN GOACROSS MANY AREAS.

SO SOMETIMESTHATCAN BE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEEDSTHAT THEY NEED THEIR CLINICALSUPPORT.SOMETIMES IT CAN BE EDUCATIONALSUPPORT.

SOMETIMES IT CAN BEBASICNEEDS, LIKE, DO THEY HAVE FOOD?DO THEY NEED MEDICAL CARE?

ANDSO KIND OF OURAPPROACH IS TO ASSURE THAT THEYHAVE, THAT WE DO GOOD CROSSSYSTEMCOORDINATION WITH, WITH THE MANYPARTNERS IN KERN COUNTY, THATSUPPORT THESE KIDS"DUE TO THE LIMITED IN- PERSONRESOURCES, THE CHALLENGE HASBEEN FINDING THE SUPPORT..."NOT ONLY ME BUT OTHER FOSTERYOUTHWHO THERE'S A LOT OF FOSTERYOUTH THAT I KNOW RIGHT NOWTHAT'SSTRUGGLING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVETHAT SUPPORT.

WE CAN'T GO TO THEDREAMCENTER, WE CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL"FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THERESOURCES AVAILABLE FORFOSTER CARE YOUTH, VISIT OURWEBSITE TURN TO 23 DOT COM.

INBAKERSFIELD, I'M IMANI STEPHENS,23ABC NEWS, CONNECTINGYOU...MEANWHILE -- UNITED AIRLINES ANDAMERICAN AIRLINES ARE