RE: Foster Care Aging Out

["McLeod, Sandra" <SMcLeod@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello, Ms. Jackson,

I happened to see your request for assistance in locating resources that summarize the current research on services to assist youth who are aging out of the foster care system.  While much of the information addresses the specific needs (housing, health care, employment, etc.) of this population, at this time I would like to draw your attention to some general research that addresses the overall services needs and outcomes for these youth.

As a service of the Children's Bureau, Child Welfare Information Gateway (http://www.childwelfare.gov) serves as a national clearinghouse of information and resources for child welfare, child abuse and neglect, adoption, and other related topics.

Information Gateway offers public access to its extensive online, searchable library collection at: http://library.childwelfare.gov/cwig/ws/library/docs/gateway/SimpleSearchForm.  Attached please find a sample search of selected, relevant resources from the collection. Direct links are provided when available.

Also, there are additional resources that may be of interest to you as well:

1)	The Children's Bureau has established the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD), a database that will be used to track John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program-funded independent living services that States provide to young people in foster care, and it will also track characteristics of the youth who receive independent living services and assess each State's performance as measured by foster youth outcomes, including educational attainment, employment, welfare dependency, homelessness, non-marital childbirth, incarceration, and high-risk behaviors. The first submission of data from the States is due by May 15, 2011. For more information about the database, please see the Children's Bureau website at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/systems/nytd/about_nytd.htm. 

2)	Several key national organizations that have addressed the topic of outcomes for youth aging out the of the foster care system include, but are not limited to, the following:

	National Resource Center on Youth Development  (NRCYD) (http://www.nrcyd.ou.edu/ ) -Transitioning Youth at: 	http://www.solutionsdesk.ou.edu/transitioning-youth.html.  As part of the Children's Bureau Training and Technical 	Assistance Network, the NRCYD provides links to reports, statistics, and more.

	Chapin Hall  (http://www.chapinhall.org ) - Child Welfare and Foster Care Systems Publications at: 	http://www.chapinhall.org/research/areas/Child-Welfare-and-Foster-Care-Systems 

	The Finance Project --  Youth Transitions Resource Center (http://www.financeproject.org/index.cfm?page=32)  	provides links to resources on how to develop and sustain supports and services for youth transitioning out of 	foster care, links to resources on research, best practice, policy and funding, as well as links to organizations 	working on issues affecting youth in care. 
 
	PEW Charitable Trusts (http://www.pewtrusts.org/default.aspx)  -- Time for Reform: Aging Out and On Their Own at:  	http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail.aspx?id=26082 
  
	Forum for Youth Investment (http://forumfyi.org/) -- The Forum for Youth Investment (the Forum) is an organization 	dedicated to helping communities and the nation make sure all young people are ready by the age of 21 for college, 	work, and life through links to relevant publications, programs, and field support.

3)	Child Welfare Information Gateway provides a listing of national organizations, Youth Involved with the Child Welfare System (http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp.cfm?rs_id=29&rate_chno=19-00131,) that includes descriptions and links to resources  which work to assist youth in the transition from foster care to adulthood. 
And, one last comment. Early this summer, hopefully by the end of June, we will post our recently redesigned and enhanced web section on Youth. Please be sure to bookmark our website: http://www.childwelfare.gov. 
 
I hope that the information and resources are helpful to you. If I can be of further assistance to you, please contact me directly at Information Gateway.

Regards,

Sandi McLeod
Sr. Child Welfare Specialist
Child Welfare Information Gateway
A Service of the Children's Bureau/ACF/HHS

Fax: 703.225.2357
Email: smcleod@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx   
Website: www.childwelfare.gov 
Free Subscriptions: http://www.childwelfare.gov/admin/subscribe/ 
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month: www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/preventionmonth 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-22535436-6834017@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bounce-22535436-6834017@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Aeolian Jackson
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 9:28 AM
To: child-maltreatment-research-L@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Foster Care Aging Out

I am trying to summarize the current research on services to assist youth who are aging out of the foster care system to find their economic footing.  I am concerned especially that in practice the attention to this issue seems to be late and not always evidence-based,

Attachment: Research_Outcomes_Youth Aging Out.doc
Description: MS-Word document