November 9, 2026 - ITASCA, IL--More than 400,000 U.S. children and teens are in foster care with one in four being adolescents ages 13 and older. Many will leave the system without the permanent family connections and supportive relationships they need to build healthy lives.
A new American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement, “Supporting the Health and Well-being of Youth Aging Out of Foster Care,” recommends practical steps to help young people make this transition. Developed by the AAP Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care, the statement is published in the December 2026 issue of Pediatrics and available online Nov. 9.
Many young people leaving foster care have physical, mental, or behavioral health conditions. Yet gaps in insurance coverage, difficulty finding providers, and limited support for managing their own health can keep them from getting care.
The policy highlights these persistent inequities in the child welfare system, addressing factors such as differences in placement stability, access to health care, and outcomes for young people from marginalized populations.
To improve health and support the transition to adulthood for youth aging out of foster care, the AAP recommends:
- Prioritizing lasting relationships with supportive adults to promote stability and well-being
- Putting young people’s lived experiences at the center of decisions about their care.
Improving coordination among pediatricians, child welfare systems, and insurers so care continues without interruption. - Closing gaps in Medicaid coverage.
- Starting transition planning earlier.
- Expanding access to extended foster care options.
- Building a national system to track outcomes for young people leaving foster care.
Policy statements created by AAP are written by medical experts, reflect the latest evidence in the field, and go through several rounds of peer review before being approved by the AAP Board of Directors and published in Pediatrics.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
