"Kristal McCoy, 23, who spent eight years in the foster-care system, became homeless at the end of her freshman year at California State University, Hayward, and started 'couch surfing' with friends or relatives. Although the stress took a toll on her grades, McCoy graduated and now has a full-time job at the California Youth Connection, which lobbies for increased support for foster youths."

McCoy beat the odds, but many others don't.

Kristal's personal story on stateline.org, Aug 23, stands in sharp relief to the unpleasant fact that "of more than 24,000 youths who leave foster care each year without a family,, one in four is incarcerated within the first two years," according to a new Report from the Pew Charitable Trusts-Time for Reform: Aging Out and On Their Own.

Just two states are footing the bill to help foster care youths who turn 18. Vermont this year became the second state, after Illinois, to use state money to exten its foster care services to age 21, if a youth chooses to remain in the program.

Read the full story by Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer.