(File Photo: Caption for Photo: Young teenager boy uncomfortable at counseling – close up on clutching hands)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania nonprofits are working with teens in foster care to ensure they have the resources they’ll need to navigate life once they’re out of the system. In Pennsylvania, about 15-thousand children are in temporary foster care. Dr. Joseph Birli with Bethany Children’s Home says they have a congregate care setting to assist those who have been traumatized. He says teens may need emergency shelter if they’re at risk for human trafficking and the staff works with them as they age out of the system. About 20-thousand young people exit foster care each year in the U-S, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. In Pennsylvania, Birli says 18-year-olds can leave the foster care system – but also can return if needed until age 21 by contacting their county. He says many do return, after realizing life is tougher than expected.