All children deserve the love and stability of a family that will support them throughout their lives. Sadly, many older children in foster care never find a permanent home. For these youth, permanency typically comes through adoption, guardianship, or reunification with their birth families.
When none of these options occur, young people “age out” of foster care — meaning they turn 18 and leave the system without a family to rely on. This is the least favorable outcome, and it happens far too often. Each year, about 20,000 young people age out of foster care in the United States.
The moment they step into adulthood, many face urgent challenges. One of the most critical is housing: roughly 65% need a safe and stable place to live right away. But the difficulties don’t end there. Compared to their peers in the general population, young people who age out of foster care are more likely to experience behavioral, mental, and physical health issues. They also face higher rates of:
housing instability
unemployment
academic struggles
early parenthood
substance use
Without consistent support, these obstacles can quickly compound, making it even harder for young adults to build a stable and hopeful future.
Welcome, friends — both familiar faces and new ones.
At Safe Place to Land, every gathering begins with gratitude. To our long‑time supporters, thank you for standing with us year after year. Your belief in this mission has helped us reach young people who might otherwise have slipped through the cracks. And to our new guests, we’re honored you’ve chosen to spend your time with us. You are stepping into a community built on compassion, dignity, and hope.
Our work centers on a simple but urgent truth: too many young people leave foster care without the support they need to step into adulthood. At 18, they are suddenly expected to navigate housing, employment, education, and life’s challenges entirely on their own. Many have no family to call, no safety net to fall back on, and no place where they feel they truly belong.
This is where our call to action begins.
Safe Place to Land exists to make sure these young adults are not left to face the world alone. We offer stability, guidance, and community — the things every person deserves but not every person receives. When we talk about giving someone “a safe place to land,” we mean offering real refuge: a steady hand, a listening ear, and a path forward.
We invite you to join us in that mission. Whether you support through time, resources, advocacy, or simply by spreading the word, you become part of the safety net that helps these young people rise.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for caring. And thank you for believing, as we do, that every young person deserves a chance to build a life filled with purpose, belonging, and hope.
With gratitude,
Susan Hatfield Miller
Safe Place to Land