Dr. Lanetta N. Greer, who founded Home 4 the Heart, Inc., a nonprofit group home for teenage girls, has published her new book, “Aged Out: Narratives of Young Women Who Grew Up in Out-of-Home Care.” Dr. Greer’s book provides a qualitative study of young women who grew up in out-of-home care (OHC). She examines the feelings, knowledge, and behavior of former foster youth during three major points in their lives including family life (preplacement), growing up in out-of-home care (placement), and after aging out of the child welfare system and starting life on their own (postplacement).
Based upon her review of literature from The Black Administrators in Child Welfare (BACW), Dr. Greer found that over half of the children in foster care were children of color and further explained that 27 percent of those children were African American. She also discovered that according to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, African American children have a lower discharge and longer stays in OHC than white children. Within Dr. Greer’s study, six of the eight women were African American, and one of the eight women was Korean and African American– representing the voices of women of color who grew up in the foster care system and insight into their real-life experiences.
Dr. Greer found various similarities and differences from their experience. Notably, some of the similarities included strong sibling bonds and their discussion of the importance of this, suffering and confusion due to being away from their family members at a young age, connecting with a family/feeling a sisterhood with other residents in various placement situations, unstable school placement, and more.
“By finding the similarities between these women who have grown up in out-of-home care, we can begin to find the areas where the foster care system can improve,” Dr. Greer said. “Between my organization and sharing the research in my book, I hope I can shed light on how the foster care system can better help the men and women who are growing up in out-of-home care thrive.”
Dr. Greer explains in “Aged Out” how in 2012 “more than twenty-three thousand youth between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one aged out of the foster care system” and “had few resources and little support” as reported by The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). By bringing awareness to the struggle of these individuals, Dr. Greer hopes that more resources will be available to these kids. To find out more about how Dr. Greer is helping those who are in OHC through her nonprofit, please visit www.home4theheartinc.com.
“Aged Out: Narratives of Young Women Who Grew Up in Out-of-Home Care”
By Dr. Lanetta N. Greer
ISBN: 978-1-4808-7998-0 (softcover); 978-1-4808-7997-3 (hardcover)
Available at the Archway Publishing Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
About the author
Dr. Lanetta N. Greer has worked as a psychotherapist, school social worker, adjunct professor, facilitator and trainer. In October of 2007, Dr. Greer followed her passion for helping youth and started a nonprofit organization called Home 4 the Heart, Inc. This organization provides residential care to teenage girls in Milwaukee, WI. Their mission: “is to provide a safe, stable, and empowering environment for girls (ages 12-17) who have been abused and/or neglected.” This organization has helped almost 200 girls in over 10 years. Currently, Dr. Greer resides in Milwaukee, WI and has one beautiful daughter, Klayton Grace.
About Archway Publishing
Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit www.archwaypublishing.com or call 888-242-5904.
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