The Rosalynn Carter Fellowships For Mental Health Journalism
2008-2009

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
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.

"As Long As It Takes" for Foster Kids
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."

Helping the Most Troubled Foster Kids
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.