Consider these case examples:

Trevor, age 17, is a chronic runaway who simply can’t live with other peers. He ran from 2 group homes and 3 foster homes but always kept his job at a surfing supplies store in his town. His school attendance was sporadic but he showed a lot of potential. He was referred to an ILP, which placed him in an apartment rented from a private landlord. He did well on his own for several months but soon complaints came from the landlord about parties, heavy metal music at 2am and lots of traffic. After several warnings, the ILP staff came to his apartment, helped him bag up his possessions and took him to a house run by the ILP with 3 beds for males and a live-in resident manager. Trevor was not happy but agreed that he lost control of his apartment. He stays at the shared-home for three months and earns his way back to another scattered-site apartment.

Cathy, age 17, lives in a foster home with four other foster siblings in a small town 30 miles from the city. She is doing well in all areas of her life but her caseworker knows she cannot move back with her family and needs to learn to live on her own. A referral is made to an ILP in the city who quickly establishes that there are no apartments for rent in Cathy’s town. After numerous calls are made, the ILP finds a couple in their 30s with an extra room in their house who know Cathy from their church. The children’s services runs a background check on the couple, checks out their house and approves of the placement. Cathy completes her senior year while living in this host home and after graduation from high school and discharge from care, she works out an agreement to stay living with the host family, paying them $150 toward room and board, until the end of the summer when she will move into a college dorm.

Bobby, age 17 ½, lives in a group home and is doing well. He is referred to an ILP and placed in his own apartment. He does well for a while but once school starts, numerous friends find out that he lives in his own place and it becomes party central. In spite of many conversations with ILP staff, the place is out of control. Bobby is removed from the apartment and placed in the agency’s shelter for two weeks. After his stay at the shelter, he is allowed to return to the apartment, with a written behavioral contract. The second time around, things go more smoothly.


Susan, age 17, is referred to an ILP after doing well in a foster home for over 3 years. She is placed in a supervised apartment with 3 units for youth and one for a resident manager. Susan does well in the program and after 4 months is moved into an apartment rented from a private landlord. After another 3 months, her foster sister moves in with her, after clearing this with the landlord. When Susan leaves the system, she and her new roommate will be able to split the rent and utility bills and will take over the lease.

These are just a few examples of how an agency can develop living arrangement options that provide different levels of supervision, geographical flexibility and second chances for youth who can’t handle their first chance on their own. It takes a system to make this work; child welfare, juvenile court and most often non-profit care-providers need to really see the importance of giving youth a chance to get real-life experience before discharge for this to work. The child welfare system’s primary goal of protecting children and youth is challenged as the new goal, a process of “supportive letting go,” takes precedence.