I'm a foster kid with a degree. That shouldn't be rare, but it is. We can change that.

Tamara Vest
·4 min read
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At 9 years old, I lost my biological father to cancer. The loss was immense since he was my primary caregiver. Meanwhile, my biological mother was facing a battle of her own. Unable to escape the relentless grip of substance use disorder, she couldn’t care for me.

As a teen, I was placed in a foster home. At the time of my placement, a social worker told me there was only one home in Lexington fostering teenagers – bringing into focus the lack of foster opportunities. Determined to better my life, I enrolled in the University of Kentucky. Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the College of Social Work in December 2020, I was eager to get to work helping foster teens who felt overlooked and underestimated beat the odds, while continuing to further my education.

I now work as a policy and advocacy analyst for Kentucky Youth Advocates in Louisville after graduating with my master’s degree in social work in 2023. I am also undergoing an adult adoption currently.

Tamara Vest
Tamara Vest

May is National Foster Care Month. For many, aging out of foster care can be difficult to navigate

According to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Kentucky has about 8,500 children in out-of-home care. Nationally, there are nearly 400,000 children involved in the child welfare system. There are even more alumni of care, like myself, which means there are many children who might find themselves at odds when making the choice to pursue higher education.

For individuals aging out of foster care, resources such as finances, housing, mental health and relational support are scarce. It makes it difficult to navigate and succeed in post-secondary education without these.

When I started college, I also struggled without some of these resources. I did not have transportation, and I struggled with financial instability, mental health challenges and a lack of relational support.

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Luckily, there are programs available in Kentucky that support foster youth and alumni on their educational pursuits.

Financially, I was saved by Kentucky’s foster and adoptive tuition waiver, which helped pay for my college education. As an advocate, I even worked to amend this piece of legislation and was able to cover my graduate expenses as well. I was also able to utilize the educational training voucher as a financial supplement. The University of Kentucky's financial aid office staff made renewing my tuition waiver simple and easily accessible.

The University of Kentucky College of Social Work also has excellent staff who are knowledgeable on the importance of self care and taking care of mental health. Coupled with their free student health care and counseling services, I found myself well-supported when I attended school on campus and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

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After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in 2020, I decided to return to the College of Social Work for a master’s degree. I went through the completely online MSW program. I expected to feel less connected because I chose an online option, but that was not the case. The faculty members were great – they would email opportunities to get involved and keep me up to date on the latest information and requirements for my educational journey.

Most foster youth don't pursue higher education. We can change that

Less than 10% of foster youth pursue higher education and of that 10%, only 3% will graduate with a four-year degree. Less than 1% will graduate with a master’s or higher. As a community, we can change that statistic.

If you are a foster youth or alumni and considering higher education, I encourage you to research your options and resources because there are so many within the state of Kentucky and nationally.

Here's how you can help support foster kids in college

  • Offer rides to and from classes.

  • Offer to help them obtain their driver’s license.

  • Be someone they can talk to about challenges.

  • Send them gift cards for food.

  • Attend their special events.

  • Help them set up their dorm/apartment.

  • Help them get connected with community groups and activities.

Tamara Vest, a foster care alum with a masters degree from the University of Kentucky's Master of Social Work program, works as a s policy and advocacy analyst for Kentucky Youth Advocates in Louisville. This column originally published in the Louisville Courier Journal.

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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: I just graduated. Why a college degree is rare for foster kids like me