In this policy brief, we explore how young people leave foster care given they entered care for the first time between the ages of 13 and 17. (Chapin Hall, University of Chicago)
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This study explored the perceptions of former foster youth as a means to analyze the factors that contribute to the positive and negative outcomes of foster youth once aging out of the foster care system. (University of California, San Bernardino)
This article applies the life course perspective to describe the theoretical and contextual foundation that explains the hardships foster youth experience when they emancipate from the U.S. child welfare system. Next, the theoretical basis for natural mentoring among foster youth is explored using the resiliency perspective to frame the discussion. (University of Pennsylvania)
The project presented sought to find a possible correlation between participation in the Independent Living Program (ILP) while in foster care and overall success after emancipation from the foster care system. For the purpose of this study, the meaning of success is that the participant was able to sustain a life without being homeless whether attending college, obtaining employment, or…
The purpose of this applied dissertation was to explore the lived experiences of teens aging out of foster care, in an effort to better understand their needs. The researcher conducted three 60-minute interviews with nine former foster youth…to assist in understanding the lived experiences of former foster youth. (Doctoral thesis)
This Issue Brief published by Hawai‘i KIDS COUNT covers the impact that not having a strong relationship with a supportive adult has on youth aging out of the system and recommends strategies to ensure educational, housing, employment, health, and safety needs of these youth are addressed before they age out.
This article uses research from Missouri, where older youth can stay in the foster care system until age 21; to address several different questions about the phenomenon of transitioning out of the foster care system between ages 17 and 19. (Literature Review – Child Youth Serv Rev)
This qualitative study reports the findings of interviews with a diverse sample of 27 current and former foster youths in a Midwestern state (Kansas), focusing on the quantity and quality of independent living services received. (Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Sciences)
The purpose of this content analysis was to explore some of the variables associated with a successful transition while “aging out of” foster care, and to better understand how youth define and experience this transition from their perspective and in their own words. (St. Catherine University/University of St. Thomas)
This report addresses the widespread belief that youth who fail to reach a permanent status with parents or other relatives and who thus remain in foster care until reaching the age of 18 are likely to face poor economic and social circumstances as they enter adulthood. (Chapin Hall)