Child & Family Social Work: 'Assessing the educational achievements of adults who were formerly placed in family foster care'.

Pecora, Peter J. ; Williams, Jason ; Kessler, Ronald C. 等

11:3, August 2006, pp 220-31

Case records and interviews concerning the educational achievements of 1,087 foster care alumni are presented. Young people were served by a voluntary agency in 23 communities across the USA between 1966 and 1998. Because the alumni were older than in most foster care follow-up studies, a more extensive picture of educational achievement was possible. High school graduation and college enrolment rates were comparable to or even greater than those of the general population, but the number completing high school with a Graduate Equivalency Diploma and the college dropout rates were a concern. Predictors of high school completion while in foster care, such as fewer placement changes, extra-curricular activities and independent living training, are presented, along with recommendations for improving educational and vocational preparation.