Children and Youth Services Review: 'Educational and employment outcomes of adults formerly placed in foster care: results from the Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study'.

Pecora, Peter J.

28:12, pp 1459-81, December 2006, USA

This study evaluated the intermediate and long-term effects of family foster care on adult functioning using a sample of 659 young adults from one private and two public child welfare agencies, case record reviews, structured interviews, and a survey response rate of 76 per cent. Foster care alumni completed high school at a rate comparable to the general population, but a disproportionately high number of them completed high school via a GED (General Education Development certificate). Alumni completion rates for post-secondary education were low. Consequently, many alumni were in fragile economic situations: one-third had household incomes at or below the poverty level; one-third had no health insurance; and more than one in five experienced homelessness after leaving foster care. Two foster care experience areas were estimated to significantly reduce the number of undesirable outcomes in the Education outcome domain: positive placement history (eg high placement stability, few failed reunifications) and having broad independent living preparation. For the Employment and Finances outcome domain, receiving broad independent living preparation (as exemplified by having concrete resources upon leaving care) was estimated to significantly reduce the number of undesirable outcomes.