Children in foster care have it rough, in more ways than one.

Four years after they’ve aged out of foster care, only about half of them have jobs. Less than a fifth get any college study under their belts, and fewer than ten percent graduate from college.

Part of the reason for the above is that foster children lack basic computer skills.

Because they usually have limited technology resources, such as computers and internet access.

A child welfare agency in New York is trying to turn that around.

They provide a laptop to foster children, and a digital educational program to both foster children and their foster parents. The agency also furnishes free Wi-Fi to participating foster families for a full four years.

Last, but not least, the agency sponsors a technology career program to assist foster kids with graduating into technology careers.

The program is quite ambitious and, if successful, could make a dent in the discouraging statistics about foster children and higher education.

Read more in this Wall Street Journal article: Laptops Are Lifeline for Foster Children .