Guide designed to help kids who ‘age out’

Thursday, July 14, 2005 | 9:39 a.m.

A Las Vegas nonprofit organization has published a free guide for youths who turn 18 in foster care and must leave the system to start a life on their own.

The guide, called "Into the World: A Life Book" and financed by the Ritter Charitable Trust, covers topics ranging from how to get a high school diploma to different kinds of birth control.

In its first edition, 1,000 copies were printed of the guide, which is being distributed through Girls and Boys Town of Nevada. The writing, editing and printing of the guide, with 100 pages of text and an address book and calendar included, cost $75,000, said Hilary Westrom, one of the founders of the trust.

Headings within chapters of the guide include, "how to find a place to live," "sexually transmitted diseases," "date rape," "doing laundry and taking care of your clothes," and "what to do if you're arrested."

Unfortunately, the largest source of financial help to teens who "age out" of the system -- the Step Up program, financed by statewide recorder fees -- changed hands July 1 and is now being run by a nonprofit organization called Child Focus.

The guide sends youths to the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, the organization that formerly ran the program. Westrom said she may be issuing inserts to the remaining guides and will be updating the guide annually.

She hopes the guide helps a population that studies have shown struggles with homelessness and other problems after they leave the care of the state.

"Unfortunately, in the past, foster youth were just sent on their way ... this is an attempt to fill in the gaps."