Challenges Facing Youth Who Age Out of Foster Care

Introduction

Although well intentioned, the foster care system often places youth in a precarious position once they age out of the program. Evidence suggests that foster care youth frequently experience trouble securing stable housing, difficulty juggling work and school responsibilities, and challenges to their overall healthy development. These issues also harm foster care youth in their ability to properly matriculate into society. Other problems related to the foster care system itself — along with social workers and practitioners — further complicate its application. Practitioners are often ill-equipped to handle the overall transition of adolescents, and may lack the experience needed to properly assess and assist foster care youth as they move into adulthood. These elements coalesce into an adverse circumstance in which many foster youth are subjected to harsh conditions immediately after leaving care. Complexities related to the individuals who originally cared for the foster child can also contribute to adverse outcomes; the caregiver's beliefs, personality, and living environment can all have a negative impact on the youth (ACF, 2017).

Research has shown that adolescents are the most malleable during their early teenage years. Parents, communities, peers, and social media can have a direct impact on how foster care youth perform in life (Bauman, 2006). Because the brain is still developing, stimuli from multiple sources can influence the perceptions and thought processes of foster care youth. Social media exacerbates these circumstances by contributing to information silos, distorted perceptions of success, and harmful dialogue. Due to these influences, it is the contention of this paper that foster care youth are adversely impacted by the current system. Furthermore, older youth — who benefit from greater life experience and more advanced brain development — fare considerably better than their younger counterparts. This ultimately provides a template for identifying which youth will succeed as they transfer out of foster care and which will struggle.

A review of the research reveals a common thread uniting successful foster care students and distinguishing them from unsuccessful ones (Benach, 2014). These threads often coalesce into a standard philosophy that can be adapted to suit the individual needs of foster care participants. First, research has shown that successful foster care students are able to handle and manage multiple tasks simultaneously (Bender, 2015). Many were able to balance both school and work as a means of creating a stable lifestyle. It is also important for foster care parents to provide an inclusive and engaging environment designed to help develop the child's innate abilities (Berzin, 2011). Such an environment offers the stability in which learning and development can occur. The difficulty is that many younger individuals in foster care do not experience this kind of environment — particularly when compared to older foster care participants who are further along in their cognitive development. Finally, the social workers themselves, along with their overall employment environment, can contribute to adverse circumstances for both foster care students and those who seek to support them. Each of these issues will be discussed in detail in the sections that follow, with care taken to present both sides of the prevailing research so that readers may evaluate the merit of each argument (Blome, 1997).

Research has shown that the single greatest predictor of homelessness among foster care participants is a prior episode of homelessness. Bender, Yang, Ferguson, and Thompson, through their research involving over 319 foster care students, found that prior homelessness is the single greatest factor determining successful foster care relationships (Bender, 2015). Their research found that prior homelessness had an R-squared value of .73, which is statistically significant. According to the research, prior homelessness occurs as a result of adverse behaviors on the part of the student or the parent. These risk factors can heavily impact youth aging out of foster care (Brown, 2015). For example, research has shown that African American youth are 1.8 times more likely to become homeless relative to their white counterparts. This is partially attributable to racial circumstances that affect African American youth. The Black community is heavily stereotyped according to research on psychological biases, and these biases often create adversarial relationships between African Americans and broader society. Social media compounds the problem by distorting perceptions of racial identity, creating rigid silos that contribute to confusion and turmoil. Combined with the brain development issues described above — in which young African Americans have not yet fully developed their cognitive capacities yet are bombarded with stereotype-laden media — many youth find themselves undermining their own growth and development in an attempt to fit in.

Research has also shown that household composition, number of foster care placements, and involvement with the justice system all contribute to homelessness for youth aging out of foster care (Osgood, 2010). Household composition refers here to the prevalence of teenage pregnancies within the child support system. Youth with one or more children are, according to research, nearly twice as likely to become homeless. The primary driver of this outcome is a lack of employable skills. Youth are often characterized by high energy and motivation but limited experience. In the case of young foster care parents, they must themselves manage the responsibilities of parenthood — essentially a child caring for a child — which creates extreme complications as they transition out of the foster care system. Many young people have no more than a high school diploma, which caps their earning potential at a time when housing costs continue to rise in a low-interest-rate environment. The combination of expensive housing, low income, and the need to provide for dependents has significantly contributed to homelessness among youth with children.

The research has also shown that in many circumstances, the decision to attend school and seek employment may be a symptom of housing insecurity rather than a cause of it. It is therefore vital for programs to leverage clinical judgment to support foster care youth in their transition to adulthood. Findings indicate that school attendance and employment are protective factors that help secure stable housing as foster care youth transition into adulthood. Although simultaneous work and study is beneficial, the reality is that many youth will be unable to manage both. In these instances, it is important for social workers to recognize the value of individualized programs designed to address the specific needs of each foster care youth (Ahn, 2017). Social workers and other professionals should combine research with practical application to devise plans of action that account for unique circumstances.

Difficulty in Securing Stable Housing

As it relates to education, the ability to attend school while working develops a range of soft skills that prove invaluable during a youth's adult life. Research has shown that 59% of foster care students who attend school and work are more likely to earn above the median household income in their adult years (Pecora, 2006). In addition, such students are less likely to be incarcerated, less likely to experience teenage pregnancy, and more likely to develop generational wealth. The primary reason for this is their demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing demands on their time, which allows them to develop soft skills — time management, meeting deadlines, providing adequate service, and other intangibles — that form a foundation on which to build. The risk factors of teen pregnancy, high foster parent turnover, and prior legal troubles all undermine a youth's ability to develop the skills that society requires. All of these factors combine to either support or hinder a youth's transition out of foster care and into the adult world.

The criminal justice system has a strong correlation with outcomes for youth aging out of foster care. According to research, a youth with multiple convictions is roughly four times as likely to be homeless compared to a youth who has completed juvenile rehabilitation. Even those who have completed rehabilitation are still nearly 1.5 times as likely to become homeless. This issue becomes particularly acute when risk factors compound. For example, African American youth are both more likely to be incarcerated and more likely to experience teenage pregnancy (Padgett, 2006). When these circumstances converge within a foster care environment, the likelihood of homelessness increases substantially. If an African American youth also has a prior incarceration, research shows that the risk of homelessness rises exponentially. Social workers and other professionals must therefore recognize these compounding risk factors and adjust their foster care programs accordingly, as many of these risks can be mitigated with targeted intervention.

To properly address these risk factors, many foster care programs are allocating resources to help the most vulnerable youth. For example, partnerships with trade schools have provided youth with marketable skills — metal working, carpentry, auto repair, computer science, and more — that enable them to earn higher wages in a competitive labor market. Although resources are limited, many foster care programs are leveraging such partnerships as a means of helping youth adjust to life outside of foster care and build the financial stability necessary to secure safe housing.

Research has shown that there is currently a shortage of foster parents. Those who do serve as foster parents often feel disempowered and undervalued by child protection workers, and must cope with false allegations and invasive investigation processes. Adversarial relationships with key stakeholders — including child protection services and other critical groups — discourage prospective foster parents. This ultimately contributes to youth homelessness, as fewer families are willing to assume the risks associated with foster care given the prevailing circumstances. To counteract these trends, a far more inclusive and collaborative environment is needed.

The number of available foster homes is declining in large part because of adversarial relationships with oversight entities. These entities often operate with a combative mindset without adequate regard for the practical realities facing foster families. High levels of rules and regulations, though well intentioned, frequently discourage families from participating in the foster care system. These disadvantages often outweigh the advantages of increased monthly income, stipends, and other government assistance programs. Research surveys have also shown that families often feel powerless to improve the lives of the children in their care. Rules, regulations, and oversight stifle innovation within this sector, contributing to many of the challenges discussed throughout this paper (ACF, 2019).

Organizations play a vital role in preventing or ameliorating the negative effects of a dysfunctional workplace culture on their employees. This is particularly relevant for foster care programs, which employ hundreds of thousands of workers across the United States. The well-being of helping professionals is especially at risk when they work with survivors of trauma. Workers can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can ultimately impair their ability to deliver quality services to foster care youth. According to the American Psychiatric Association, individual employees within the foster care system may experience intrusive symptoms, avoidant symptoms, and hyper-arousal. This can not only harm the worker's own well-being but also cause their work to be heavily biased and counterproductive to the clients they are attempting to help. According to McCann and Pearlman, this ultimately contributes to compassion fatigue and negative emotional reactions.

It is therefore important for foster care organizations to develop a trauma-informed organizational culture that can help alleviate many of the stressors inherent in day-to-day operations. Organizational dysfunction can adversely impact youth aging out of foster care, as they may no longer receive the services needed to support their transition. In certain instances, the organizations youth contact may be incapable of administering required services due to staffing shortages, burnout, PTSD, or other employment-related problems. This has both a psychological and a personal impact on the individual. From a psychological perspective, a youth may come to believe that the system does not care for them, fostering anger and resentment. From a practical standpoint, the failure to provide timely and appropriate assistance can directly impair a youth's transition into adulthood (Adams, 2018).

In conclusion, youth face many challenges when aging out of foster care. Risk factors play a large role in producing homelessness — including prior legal trouble, teenage pregnancy, the number of prior foster families, and academic performance. These factors are compounded by the shortage of available foster families, adversarial relationships between foster families and oversight agencies, and a dysfunctional organizational culture within foster care programs. All of these elements coalesce to form an environment that inhibits the successful transition of youth out of foster care. Addressing these circumstances will be essential if youth are to make a healthy and sustainable transition into adulthood.

Risk Factors and Racial Disparities

ACF (2017). Number of children in foster care continues to increase. Administration for Children and Families. Washington, DC: Children's Bureau.

ACF (2019). The AFCARS Report #26. Administration for Children and Families. Washington, DC: Children's Bureau. Retrieved from

Adams, E., Hassett, A., & Lumsden, V. (2018). What do we know about the impact of stress on foster carers and contributing factors? Adoption & Fostering, 42(4), 338–353.

Ahn, H., Greeno, E. J., Bright, C. L., Hartzel, S., & Reiman, S. (2017). A survival analysis of the length of foster parenting duration and implications for recruitment.

Bauman, L., Silver, E., & Stein, R. (2006). Cumulative social disadvantage and child health. Pediatrics, 117(4), 1321–1328.

Benach, J., Vives, A., Amable, M., Vanroelen, C., Tarafa, G., & Muntaner, C. (2014). Precarious employment: Understanding an emerging social determinant of health. Annual Review of Public Health, 35, 229–253.

Conclusion

Pecora, P. J., Kessler, R. C., O'Brien, K., White, C. R., Williams, J., Hiripi, E., & Herrick, M. A. (2006). Educational and employment outcomes of adults formerly placed in foster care: Results from the Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study. Children and Youth Services Review.