How Foster Care Can Be Training for Homelessness

July 7, 2026 · 1 min read

While staying in homeless shelters as a reporter, I heard dozens of stories of abuse, many of which I was able verify with court records and counselors. One person whose story particularly moved me was Michael, a felon and poet who lived downstairs from where I stayed in an old Joplin, Missouri, building called The Forge. Read more...

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Анастасия Воробьёва

Sorry for Mikhail. I wonder how many years he spent in foster care before he ended up on the street? Here in Samara, too, many of the orphanages are quickly slipping into homelessness, and I often hear about abuse from fellow volunteers.

Елена Семёнова

It's a pity for Mikhail, the story is difficult. Here in Novosibirsk, too, children often end up on the street after orphanages, especially if there was violence in their foster families. I wonder how old he was when he logged out.

Виктор Киселёв

It’s a pity that Novosibirsk has the same problem. Mikhail was 18 when he logged out of the system - straight away to nowhere, without support. Does this kind of violence often happen in your foster families, or do the kids tell you this after the orphanage?

نقولا صايغ

I wish we knew how many years Michael spent in foster families before he became homeless. Here in Tripoli, many young people after the age of 18 leave orphanages without any support and quickly end up on the street, especially if they were abused before. May God rest his soul.

Дмитрий Иванов

It’s a pity for Mikhail, without support at 18 he really goes straight to the streets. In Samara, we sometimes leave foster families with injuries, but more often children from orphanages complain about violence after graduation. Are there any church or parish programs in Novosibirsk that try to help such guys?

Дмитрий Васильев

It’s a pity that it’s the same story in Samara. Mikhail, judging by the article, had several foster families in a row, and the abuse there was serious - even the courts confirmed it. What do your volunteers say? Most often, what is the reason why they slip up - due to lack of support after 18 or because of the habits themselves that were developed in the orphanage?

Наталья Соколова

Yes, there is also violence in foster families, I heard from a teacher friend from Novosibirsk about a couple of cases when children later left with bruises and remained silent until they turned 18. What are they trying to do in Samara after graduation - at least some workshops or just volunteers visiting?

Елена Зайцева

It’s a pity that Samara has the same problem. For Mikhail, as I understood from the article, the abuse went specifically to foster families, and not just to the orphanage. Have your volunteers tried to help someone with housing or work after turning 18, or is it too late?