Las Vegas Sun

December 1, 2009

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Letter: At 18, few prepared for life on their own

Sunday, Aug. 19, 2007 | 1:14 a.m.

I read with interest your Aug. 15 editorial headlined, "All alone at 18." You supported a Senate proposal that would provide care for foster children until they are 21. Currently, foster children are suddenly on their own after they turn 18.

At the tender age of 18, most people are much too naive and inexperienced to take life by the horns on their own.

What really scares me is that children of this age are prey for pimps, drug pushers and others of that ilk who will just use them and throw them away when they are done with them.

At age 18 most people are still wet behind the ears and cannot go out into the world and find a job that pays anything nearly enough to enjoy a really safe and decent place to live or even enough to feed themselves.

I believe, as you do, that at age 21, they will be somewhat better prepared for life. It is better for society to pay a modest amount for three more years of care than to risk that these children will go astray and end up behind bars.

I would ask everyone to think about this: Would you want to be all alone at 18? I think not.

Joan K. Zubrick, Las Vegas

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