When transitioning out of foster care, young people face a surplus of challenges and a shortage of support.
Young people who experience foster care lag behind their general population peers when it comes to graduating high school or getting a job. Targeted transition services can help. Yet, among all foster youth who participated in a federally funded transition service in 2015, just 23% received education support or employment assistance.
Summary
This Annie E. Casey Foundation brief, which utilizes the most comprehensive data set ever collected across all 50 states, fills in key details about the lives of young people who have experienced foster care. In no uncertain terms, the data describe how youth in foster care are falling behind their general population peers and on track to face higher levels of joblessness and homelessness as adults. With these challenges clear, Casey urges leaders to take action — to collect better data, support better practices and develop better policies — so that youth in care can get the support they need, transition to adulthood and thrive.
