Looking both backwards and forwards, the life for foster youth aging out of the foster care system is grim.
Dr. Larry Miller, best known as “Papa Larry”, opened his Year of Service lecture on March 10 by putting the audience in the shoes of an aged-out foster youth.
“Imagine, you’re on the sidewalk in front of where you used to live, with a brown trash bag, and that’s it,” said Dr. Miller.
About thirty people sat in COM-129 listening to Dr. Miller and two of his foster “daughters,” Raquel Montes and Cristina Miranda, as they explained the harsh situation of transitioning as foster youth.
“It is rewarding, it is heartbreaking,” said Miller solemnly as he described what it is like being involved in the lives of transitioning foster youths.
“Papa Larry” earned a PHD in Biology in 1971 from UCSB and taught at Moorpark College until he retired in 2003. Now he is a trustee on the Ventura County Community College Board District. He is involved with Big Brother and Big Sister, as well as the California Youth Connection (CYC) which is a program designed to bring together foster youth to share their experiences and voice their needs in the community to help change their situations.
Prisons, city streets and parks end up being home for about one half of the aged-out foster youth. Only two percent of foster youth graduate from college. These statistics occur within weeks of graduating from high school.
Permanency is one thing foster youths want as they deal with many of the hardships faced when being left to fend for themselves, according to the three speakers. These hardships consist of education, housing, medical needs and transportation, and they hope they can do their part to help ease the burden a little.
“I have a dream,” said Miller. “I am not religious, but the bottom line is to take care of the fatherless, the poor, the widowed and the hungry.”
Montes explained the harsh roads for foster youth. She said that there are two ways to get a kid placed into the system: abuse, either through neglect or physical abuse , or the youth is out of control and has to be removed from their home.
As a former foster youth who struggled after being aged out of the system, Montes and Miranda now work together at Casa Pacifica, as well as with CYC, to help foster youth through the harsh transition. They were inspired to help due to the aid that Miller gave them.
“Larry has gone above and beyond in helping us [with] anything: money, clothes or a study person,” said Montes.
And it isn’t just foster youths’ lives he’s touched. At his lecture, “Papa Larry” was able to reach some college students as well.
“Most people grow up spending most of their time building up themselves,” said Curtis Davis, a 19-year-old photography major. “Larry Miller, for whatever reason, chooses to invest in other people. It is what he does and I really like that.”
For more information on Cailfornia Youth Connection and ways to get involved, visit www.calyouthconn.org.
