For many young adults, turning 18 is an exciting milestone—a step toward independence while still having the support of family. But for children in foster care, this birthday marks the date you age out of the system.

Sometimes, these individuals don’t feel fully prepared to navigate the adult world. Often, an 18-year-old aging out of foster care has to face life decisions most people wouldn’t expect to tackle until their mid-20s. It’s a daunting situation that can feel impossible to face alone, and our latest guest is here to shed light on this challenging issue.

Nicole Davis is the Executive Director of Operation: Achieve Independence (OAI). OAI focuses on supporting youth aging out of foster care by providing mentoring, life skills training, education, and career preparation.

In this episode, Nicole shares the important role education plays in breaking cycles of generational trauma, why the challenges of aging out will look different for every child, how we can best support young adults who are about to age out, and much more.

Find the show notes and links to anything we discussed here: riversideproject.org/nicole-davis-33

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