Midwest Evaluation of the Adult

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• Midwest Evaluation of the Adult
• Functioning of Former Foster Youth
• Outcomes at Age 19
• Chapin Hall Center for Children
• University of Chicago

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Why Study Youth Aging Out of Care?

• Their well-being, or the lack thereof, is a good
  indicator of how effectively the needs of foster
  youth in general are being met
• They are a good population to study to better
  understand the transition to adulthood for
  vulnerable populations
• U.S. social policy regarding the transition to
  adulthood focuses specifically on this group

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Purpose of Study

• Gather information about services provided to
  foster youth in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin
• Measure the young adult self-sufficiency of
  former foster youth
• Provide guidance to 3 states regarding their
  compliance with and implementation of the John
  Chafee Foster Care Independence Act of 1999

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Study Design and Sample

• Longitudinal study survey data collected at
  three points in time
• Foster youth in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa who
  
• Were still in out-of-home care at age 17
• Had entered care before their 16th birthday
• Had been placed in care due to abuse and/or
  neglect

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Study Design and Sample (continued)
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Demographic Characteristics
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Living Arrangements at Wave 2
But 13.8 percent of youth no longer in care had
been homeless at least once since they were
discharged
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Educational Risk Factors at Wave 1

• Placed in special education 47.3
• Repeated a grade 37.3
• Due to changes in foster care
• Missed at least one month of school 24.5
• Changed schools at least 3 times 53.9
• Median reading score on WRAT 7th grade

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Yet, despite their educational risk factors

• Many youth set high educational goals
• Wanted to graduate from high school 95.8
• Wanted to graduate from college 71.4
• Many youth had high educational expectations
• Expected to graduate from high school 88.1
• Expected to graduate from college 60.2

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Educational Attainment at Wave 2
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Employment and Earnings at Wave 2
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Pregnancy and Parenthood at Wave 2
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Criminal Justice System Involvement
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Criminal Justice System Involvement Since Wave 1
Interview
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Criminal Victimization Since Wave 1 Interview
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Foster Care Independence Act of 1999

• Requires states to use some portion of their
  Chafee funds to provide assistance (including
  room and board) and services to former foster
  youth who have aged out of care until age 21
• Allows states to extend Medicaid coverage to
  former foster youth until age 21but few states
  have exercised this option

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Receipt of Independent Living Services at Wave
2 by Care Status

Independent Living Subsidy
Youth Development
Health Education
Housing
Financial Management
Employment/Training
Education
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Physical and Mental Health Care Service
Utilization at Wave 2 by Care Status
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Prevalence of Mental Health and Substance
Disorders by Care Status at Wave 2
However, the youth who were no longer in care
were MORE likely to meet the criteria for a
mental health or substance disorder diagnosis
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Conclusions and Implications

• Every year, nearly 20,000 youth who do not
  achieve permanency age out of foster care (DHHS,
  1999)
• These youth face considerable challenges
  including educational deficits and significant
  psychosocial problems

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Conclusions and Implications

• The needs of these youth must be addressed by
  state child welfare agencies if the youth are to
  make a successful transition to early adulthood
• What is less clear is how states can best prepare
  these youth for the challenges they will face-
  i.e., what independent living services or
  subsidies should be provided and to whom?

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Conclusions and Implications

• However, our research suggests that youth may
  benefit if states allow them to remain in care
  until age 21
• States could increase access to health and mental
  health care services by extending Medicaid
  coverage to former foster youth until age 21

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Results from Wave 2

• Midwest Study of Foster Youth
• Transitions to Adulthood
• Outcomes at Age Nineteen
• Available at www.chapinhall.org