Foster Care to Elder Care: One Man's Radical Plan to Solve Two Crises at Once

Roger Miller, a 72-year-old Downey native and local historian, is proposing an intergenerational housing program that would pair young adults leaving foster care with older adults who need companionship and everyday assistance. The proposal, which Miller describes as an internship, scholarship program, or a blend of both, would offer foster youth housing, meals, transportation, and support for education in exchange for help with meal preparation, household organization, and accompanying seniors to appointments. Miller, who cares for his wife Debbie, 75, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in June, said he has had preliminary conversations with local government representatives and the president of Cerritos College about the concept.

Miller's idea is rooted in personal experience: as a young man attending Cerritos College and Cal State Long Beach, his mother provided him with a home, giving him the stability to pursue his education. Decades later, he sees a similar need among young adults aging out of foster care, who often lack support networks. At the same time, he recognizes the challenges facing a rapidly aging population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States had 61.2 million residents age 65 and older in 2024, up 13% from 2020. A 2025 report by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving estimated that 63 million Americans, nearly one in four adults, provided ongoing care to an adult or a child with a complex medical condition or disability, with about a quarter of caregivers taking on debt due to their responsibilities. Miller said he knows firsthand what young people need and what seniors need, and he envisions the program as a way to provide a pathway to independence for foster youth while offering older adults practical help and comfort at home.

The proposal remains exploratory, with no established structure for participant screening, training, oversight, or boundaries between household assistance and caregiving. Miller said he welcomes hearing from anyone interested in learning more about his idea and can be reached at rogeravideo@gmail.com. If developed, the program could serve as a model for addressing two pressing social issues: the housing and educational needs of foster youth and the growing demand for affordable in-home support for seniors. Miller's hope is straightforward: that the support his mother once gave him could inspire a program that helps another generation find its footing while giving older adults support of their own. "I really see it as a win-win, and one hand washes the other," he said.