FORT SMITH (KFSM) - An emergency shelter in the River Valley recently bought a building to provide a home for teens aging out of the foster care system. According to the center's advancement coordinator, Sebastian County ranks at the top in Arkansas when it comes to kids in the foster care system.
For a "5NEWS This Morning" segment that ran Sunday (September 20th), anchor Daren Bobb spoke to Ashley Ahlert with the Fort Smith Children's Emergency Shelter. She said they're looking to open a new independent living facility in the early Spring of 2016. A company statement said, it will house the shelter's "residential life skills training program" to help 18 to 21 years-old transition into adulthood, and they don't need to live in Sebastian County.
According to Ahlert, statistics show that the majority of the people who age out of foster care become homeless.