When There Is Nowhere to Go

I read a recent NJ.com article about foster youth in New Jersey sleeping in motels and office buildings because there are not enough placements available. It is devastating. And for those of us who work alongside these children, it feels painfully familiar.

The people inside our child welfare system care deeply. Caseworkers, attorneys, providers, court staff show up every day carrying heavy caseloads and even heavier stories. They are working tirelessly. But even the most committed professionals cannot create beds that do not exist. We are facing a serious shortage of foster homes and appropriate placements, especially for older teens and youth with complex mental health or behavioral needs.

A motel room is not a home. It offers no routine, no real privacy, no sense of permanence. For young people who have already endured trauma, instability, and loss, being placed in temporary spaces can compound the very harm we are trying to heal. It can quietly send the message that there is no place ready for them. That message lingers.

Older youth are hit hardest. Teenagers navigating trauma, identity, school transitions, and the looming reality of adulthood need consistency and support more than ever. When we cannot provide stable housing, every other effort, education, therapy, permanency planning, becomes harder.

This is not about pointing fingers. It is about recognizing a capacity crisis and responding with urgency. Children in foster care are our collective responsibility. They deserve real homes, real stability, and the steady reassurance that they matter.