Foster Kids May Get More Financial Ed Than Our Own

Posted on May 1, 2008
Filed Under Foster Care |

May is National Foster Care month. I have been doing some research on different ways that people can help foster kids if they can’t or don’t want to become a foster parent. I found a great little resource for financial education. The Annie E Casey Foundation publishes several workbooks to teach foster children about personal finance.

What is the way that most of us learned about personal finance? Our earliest education was from our parents and watching how they handled money. In many cases, foster children have not had this opportunity or if they did, it was not necessarily a good example. Foster families may not share their own finances with foster kids; many families don’t share theirs with their biological children.

The workbooks that the Foundation offers are written for kids aged 8 -15. and they do a great job of introducing GOOD personal finance to children. Teaching by example, each concept has a story that introduces it and the exercises expand on that concept.

Some of the chapters and subtitles in the workbook for 11-15 year olds are

What’s the Latitude of My Money Attitude
I Thought My Wants Were Needs
I Never Knew I Leaked Money
Why Not Just Use a Check Cashing Store?

As you can see, the topics are presented with a sense of humor and it covers topics that might be particular to young adults who do not have a family to turn to for advice once they reach independence. The workbooks are one of the best tools for teaching personal finance to youth that I have run across.

Now to the unfortunate part of the story, although these books are offered free to foster families, many do not take advantage of it, do not know about them or do not have the financial aptitude to really guide their foster children. There are also many foster children who are not in a foster home and may not have an opportunity to learn either by example or from the books.

National Foster Care month is about showing people that they can help to Change A Lifetime even if they don’t become a foster parent. There are many ways to help but I’d like to throw out a challenge. Do you have an extra hour or two in your life to help to change a lifetime? Why not call your local Department of Social Services and volunteer to give a workshop on personal finance for foster teens?

I would also like to take a moment to introduce my new website. I have found that getting involved in foster care again has stirred more questions and opportunities for writing than I want to include here so I have started My Chosen Children which will explore some of the issues and questions about Foster Care. I hope you will stop by and take a look.

Help keep me awake to write by buying me a cup of coffee! .