Gap in foster care cited

[dkf]

Erwin Viado Celes had been in foster care for 14 years and won court approval at the age of 18 to extend his services until he turned 19 on March 12.

Six months later -- with no place of his own to live -- Celes hanged himself Sept. 7 in Hawaii Kai after bouncing from homes in Waianae, Mililani and Waipahu upon leaving foster care.

He was a popular and hard-working shift leader at the Wahiawa Little Caesars and dreamed of going to college on the mainland, said his co-workers, who raised money for his funeral and burial on Tuesday.

Following Celes' suicide, state Rep. John Mizuno, chairman of the House Human Services Committee, tentatively scheduled a legislative briefing for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the state Capitol to find ways to prevent future foster children from falling into Celes' situation.

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