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…
The lack of employment and job training in foster care is expected to hinder the growth of the child and youth services market. According to Ifoster, a US-based non-profit organization, after aging out of foster care, homelessness and unemployment become a huge challenge for youth. This report covers this and other child welfare issues globally. (There is a cost to…
The goal of this project was to learn about PSH programs specifically for young people formerly in foster care, which we define as young people who spent any time in foster care, including those who aged out. Through interviews and focus groups, we sought to better understand the range of current programs that generally follow the PSH model.
This study assesses whether youth in foster care in the United States who are over age 18 have better financial capability and related supports compared with younger youth and whether there are associations between supports and financial capability.
Between fall 2019 and spring 2020, Think Of Us partnered with Bloom Works (Bloom) as well as five locations across the United States to better understand the transition process for youth aging out of foster care. Our initial goal was to identify gaps in the system that Think Of Us could address in our next phase of product development. However,…
This research-based issue brief outlines clear strategies and framework elements that child welfare service systems should adopt to promote the development of resilience among young adults in foster care. Readers explore what it means to develop resilience, what research says about this issue and why it is such a vital asset for youth in care.
This brief summarizes current research and promising practices for implementing TIC to support the well-being of children exposed to trauma and help them reach their full potential. The brief begins with an overview of the nature, prevalence, and impact of childhood trauma, followed by a discussion of related risk factors associated with poor child outcomes and protective factors that support…
Building the protective factors of children and youth in foster care can help increase their resilience in the short term. It can also help promote skills, Personal characteristics, knowledge, relationships, and opportunities that offset risk factors and contribute to improved well-being and positive longer term outcomes.