The Field Center engages in interdisciplinary research, policy, advocacy, and education to promote best practices in creating and sustaining a child and family welfare and support system that is responsive to the needs of diverse families and communities.
Globally, the out-of-home care research literature extensively documents the relatively poor outcomes achieved by young people with a care experience, particularly as they strive for independence. In all the major life domains (for example, health, education, employment and finances, relationship formation, family and cultural connection) they experience greater disadvantage than do their counterparts in the general population.
This brief examines attitudes towards and knowledge about extended foster care in California, both from the viewpoint of young people themselves as well as caseworkers across the state. Three specific areas are examined in the brief: youths’ motivation to participate in extended foster care and caseworker perceptions of their motivation; youths’ knowledge of extended care and caseworker perceptions of their…
The primary goal of the present study was to explore how accumulation of risk and protective factors contributed to resilient functioning among youth leaving foster care in one state. Specifically, this research aimed to examine whether cumulative risk and protection independently affected resilience, or whether the impact of protection was contingent upon the level of risk.
This report highlights effective state strategies and promising approaches aimed at improving outcomes for foster youth in the following five areas: Education, Employment, Housing, Health Care, and Relationships.
Fostering Youth Transitions 2023: State and National Data to Drive Foster Care Advocacy is a unique compilation of data designed to inform federal and state policy efforts aimed at making a difference for young people in foster care. This overview brief and detailed profiles of the latest available data from all 50 states, along with the District of Columbia and…
A Way Home America is an advocacy organization ending homelessness for Black, Indigenous, youth of color, and LGBTQ+ youth, on a path to ending it for all. The circumstances that lead young people to experience homelessness are unique to the individual. They may be rooted in family conflict, like running away from an abusive household, or being kicked out of…
Supportive relationships with caring and trusted individuals are crucial to youth pursuing postsecondary education (PSE); however, little is known about how social support is accessed and utilized by youth with foster care experience. Findings from the analysis of interviews with 15 participants revealed four overarching themes: drop-off of formal supports, high stakes of PSE programs, friendships and peer support, and…
The overall goal for this project was to find solutions and bring awareness to the issues and the long-term affects of children in the foster care experience, and how all of this affects their future. Our research team aimed to dissect why children within the foster care system seem to experience these problems. (Sonoma State University)
Research, practice, and policy focus on the importance of relationships with young people aging out of foster care, especially relational permanency. While previous research has examined these relationships, typically with mentors, foster parents, or biological parents, few have examined the quality of strong network ties within support networks. This study incorporated a network approach to understanding how youth discussed strong…