June 3, 2021
First Star CEO Lyndsey Wilson appears on NewsNation PRIME and weighs in on the tragic police shooting involving runaway foster children in Florida (story). Noting that foster youth are retraumatized in group homes where they are more likely to test lower in school, less likely to complete high school, and are more than twice as likely to be arrested than their counterparts placed in foster homes. Let’s take a serious look at these environments and their general inability to provide quality services to youth in these highly restrictive placements. ***Not all group homes fall short of their intended purpose; however, many more do than do not.
Ms. Wilson discusses the breakdown of the family unit in this piece. This is usually the cornerstone of emotional and behavioral challenges for children in care. Still, it is not the only trigger that motivates a young person one way or the other.