Child welfare agency staff often don't have an easy way to track which youth are close to aging out. This makes it difficult to plan and communicate with youth about their transition needs.

Keep a list of youth that you can sort by their projected final day of foster care.

How to do this

Create a sortable list of youth and exit dates. Make a list in Excel or your case management system where staff can easily view which youth are closest to aging out. In Excel, you can enter the youth's transition date and sort your list into categories. For example, you might sort them into youth exiting care in the 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months.

Use the list for proactive planning. Review the list regularly (monthly or quarterly). Identify youth who need transition planning, check-ins, or specific services before they age out.