What happens to children in foster care on their 18th birthday as described in the talk?

Catherine BellEmpowering Women to Create Financial Freedom Through Passive Income, Real Estate, and Social Impact

Creating Lasting Change Through Your Legacy | Titan Impact Group

9 Aug 2023 · 1 min

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1:16

Catherine Bell talks about finding purpose by noticing what keeps bothering you. She grew up in foster care, moved between homes, and later adopted. At 18, kids age out with a trash bag of belongings, often ending up in substance use, incarceration, or trafficking.

Questions this video answers

They are handed a black trash bag, told to put all their belongings in it, and are effectively released (i.e., left to fend for themselves).

Chapters

I believe that if we actually listen, we can actually figure out what that purpose is that we're here for. Meaning, going back to the beginning of my story, is that there is a common thread throughout our lives that directs us to what our purpose is. And I find for most people, it's hidden behind the question of why isn't somebody doing something about that? And whatever the that is, it's probably your purpose. So for me, it was, why isn't somebody doing something about the children in the foster care system? Meaning that what happens is children in the foster care system, if they grow up through the foster care system on their eight and they're not adopted on their 18th birthday, they experience what's called black trash bag day. Meaning on their 18th birthday, they're handed a black trash bag and they're told to put all their belongings in it, and they're out on the streets. Oh, my goodness. So statistically, what happens to these kids is they end up on drugs, incarcerated, prostitution, and trafficked. Statistically so. And I kept asking, why isn't somebody doing something about that? Because me growing up inside of so many homes, I mean, it's a horrible experience. But once I was adopted, it literally changed my life forever.