|
|||||
|
|
Characteristics of Youth Remaining in Foster Care Through Age 19: A Pre- and Post-Policy Cohort Analysis of California Data |
|
| Authors: | Andrea Lane Eastman Emily Putnam-Hornstein Joseph Magruder Michael N Mitchell Mark E Courtney |
| Institution: | 1. Children's Data Network, University of Southern California, Suzanne Dwork-Peck School of Social Work, Los Angeles, CA, USA;2. California Child Welfare Indicators Project, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA;3. California Child Welfare Indicators Project, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA;4. School of Social Services Administration, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA |
| Abstract: | This study examined factors associated with youth remaining in extended foster care. Cohorts of youth in care in California at age 17 years were defined for the period from 2003–2012. Multivariable generalized linear models documented factors associated with remaining in care through age 19. Findings indicate that: a) the population of youth in care at age 17 has declined over time; b) youth in care at age 17 in 2012 were qualitatively different from those a decade earlier; c) a larger proportion of youth who do not exit to permanency are remaining in extended foster care; and d) although the characteristics of youth who remain in foster care as non-minor dependents continue to vary relative to those who age out, differences have diminished. Findings highlight the potential to target subgroups of youth who may benefit from the extension of care but are remaining in care at lower rates. |
| Keywords: | Age-out foster care child welfare transition age youth |