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Elaine Korry
Freelance Journalist
Richmond, CA

TOPIC: Produce a series of narrative radio reports documenting the plight of foster children with mental illnesses in California.

Changing the Odds of Foster Care (link no longer available)
On any given day, 80,000 youngsters are in the state's care. Mostly low-income and minority, these children often struggle with mental or emotional problems. Two-thirds of foster kids drop out of high school. As adults, many wind up homeless or in jail. Now, Los Angeles County is determined to change that pattern. The California Report.

"As Long As It Takes" for Foster Kids (link no longer available)
It's not uncommon for foster children to grow up anxious or depressed. Public health agencies are obligated to help these kids, but the "revolving door" nature of the treatment creates more problems. In the second part of our series looking at foster care, we report on a non-profit group with a different approach. Its motto: "One child, one therapist, for as long as it takes." The California Report.

Helping the Most Troubled Foster Kids (link no longer available)
Foster children with serious mental or emotional problems are often confined for years in institutions. But a new treatment method is helping some of these troubled kids grow up in families. This is the last of a three-part series on foster care in California. The California Report.

Residents of Palo Alto, Calif., are in mourning. Within the past six months, four students from the same local high school have killed themselves. Now, volunteers - some parents, some not - are maintaining a safety watch, trying to prevent another tragedy.

Will California Extend Foster Care Services? (link no longer available) 
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is days away from signing or vetoing legislation that would extend foster care services in California to age 21 – which could help those seeking to spread such policies in other states. The expansion would provide targeted services such as transitional housing, student financial aid, counseling and academic tutoring to foster youth after age 18.

Former Foster Child Determined to Beat the Odds (link no longer available)
Each year in California, more than 5,000 young people are emancipated from foster care. These 18- or 19-year-olds face daunting challenges to succeed as adults with little in the way of adult role models. The California Report.

Foster Kids Face Uncertain Futures (link no longer available)
On average, children in stable homes rely on their parents for support until age 26. But each year in California, more than 5,000 kids who've grown up in foster care are out on their own at 18. Many former foster youths wind up unemployed, homeless, or behind bars. The California Report.

Helping Foster Kids Escape the Cycle of Teenage Pregnancy (link no longer available)
In recent years, California's rate of teenage pregnancy has fallen to an all-time low. But there's an exception. Young women who grow up in foster care are much more likely to become pregnant in their teens -- nearly half will have at least one pregnancy before they age out of the system at 19. The California Report.

Families Disappointed with Autism Services Settlement (link no longer available)  Thousands of California families with autistic children have been battling health insurance companies for years, trying to get coverage for therapy. Parents thought they'd won an important victory when state regulators finally reached a deal with insurers last month. But there's a catch. The California Report.