The transition to adulthood is an intimidating prospect for all teens and young adults. But for older youth in foster care it means more than just branching out on their own. It means the end of programs, case workers, and foster homes that were tasked with providing for their basic needs. As a society, we support our youth in foster care wi
th services, programs, and financial assistance, yet at the point at which they are expected to become a contributing member to our society, that support is taken away.
Whether you call it aging out, emancipating, graduating, or transitioning, leaving foster care and being thrust into the world at large can be a scary and dangerous experience, and the research reflects this. Former foster youth are more likely to become homeless and less likely to attend college. They are also more likely to use drugs and less likely to find employment.
This collection explores the barriers and obstacles faced by youth aging out, as well as some of the organizations and opportunities offering pre- and post-emancipation support. It includes work on housing, education, health, and permanency. The research shows that aging out of foster care can be a minefield, but it also provides hopeful glimpses of how young people might navigate those minefields more safely.
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Promoting Successful Transition from Foster/Group Home Settings to Independent Living Among Pregnant and Parenting Teens
Contributing Organization(s): Healthy Teen Network
Publication date: 2005-11-01
| Complete listing and access info | Download
The summary report, "Promoting Successful Transition from Foster/Group Home Settings to Independent Living Among Pregnant and Parenting Teens," generously supported by the Freddie Mac Foundation discusses the difficulties facing teenagers in foster care/group settings and the policy that surrounds it. Complete listing and access info » |
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Review of Policies and Programs Supporting Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care
Contributing Organization(s): Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
Publication date: 2009-02-01
| Complete listing and access info | Download
This comprehensive review of policies and programs designed to support youth transitioning out of foster care spans all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As part of the review, Chapin Hall administered a web-based survey of state independent living services coordinators to collect up-to-date information about their state's policies and programs. The survey questions cover a number of domains including: conditions under which foster youth can remain in care after turning 18; provision of independent living and transition services; opportunities for youth to reenter care; and use of state dollars to supplement federal funds from the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program. A number of online resources including state independent living program websites, the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development's State-by-State Fact Pages, and the Transition from Foster Care to Adulthood Wiki were also reviewed. The study was commissioned by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP). Complete listing and access info » |
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Safe Passage
Contributing Organization(s): Youth Transition Funders Group
Publication date: 2006-01-01
| Complete listing and access info | Download
Most young people make the transition from adolescence to adulthood with the support of their families, communities, and schools. However, 5.4 million of our nation's most vulnerable youth -- youth aging out of foster care, teenage parents, out-of-school students and those in danger of dropping out, and youth involved in the juvenile justice system -- lack the services and social supports they need to succeed as productive workers, responsible parents, and engaged citizens. Fortunately, a host of social ills -- from violence and urban decay to persistent poverty and homelessness to lost wages and the high costs of incarceration -- can be prevented by investing in cost-effective community supports that help young people who are, or who are in danger of becoming, disconnected. The strategies outlined in the YTFG publication <strong>Safe Passage</strong> highlight some of the ways we can make more prudent and effective investments in our young people. Complete listing and access info » |
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State Child Welfare Policy Database
Contributing Organization(s): Child Trends
Publication date: 2010-03-30
| Complete listing and access info | Download
This easy-to-use website provides state-by-state policy information on a range of child welfare topics including child welfare financing, kinship care policies, and older youth in foster care. Visitors can access up-to-date information on individual state policies and can compare their own state's policies to those of other states. Complete listing and access info » |
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Termination of Older Youth from Foster Care: A Protocol for Illinois
Contributing Organization(s): Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Publication date: 2000-04-01
| Complete listing and access info | Download
National data suggests that young people transitioning from wardship to adulthood experience the expectation of self sufficiency as too fast, unplanned and unexpected, making them feel "dumped" by the system, helpless to take control of their lives, and unhopeful about the future. Id. In Illinois, approximately 2,000 youth spend their seventeenth birthday in foster care. The picture of youth aging out of the system in Illinois is no more hopeful than the national picture, as shown in a recent study of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, in which caseworkers responded to questions about a sampling of 580 older youth living in substitute care. Only 52% of the wards age 18 and older had a high school diploma. Only 12.8% were working full time. Complete listing and access info » |
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Web of Failure: The Relationship Between Foster Care and Homelessness
Contributing Organization(s): National Alliance to End Homelessness
Publication date: 1995-04-01
| Complete listing and access info | Download
The purpose of this project is to examine the connection between foster care and homelessness and to determine whether or not there is an over-representation of people with a foster care history in the homeless population. In order to examine this issue, the project used four sources of information: (1) existing research on the connection between foster care and homelessness; (2) data collected from organizations which serve homeless people and which gather information on their clients' foster care history; (3) data obtained directly from a sample of homeless people; and (4) case studies of people who are or were homeless and who have a foster care history. Complete listing and access info » |
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Youth Perspectives on Permanency
Contributing Organization(s): California Permanency for Youth Project
Publication date: 2004-04-27
| Complete listing and access info | Download
"What do foster youth think about permanency?" CPYP, in partnership with the California Youth Connection (CYC), held interviews and focus groups with several foster youth to talk about this question. This document explores some of their answers. Complete listing and access info » |
