Authors: Amy Dworsky, Judy Havlicek

This comprehensive review of policies and programs designed to support youth transitioning out of foster care spans all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As part of the review, Chapin Hall administered a web-based survey of state independent living services coordinators to collect up-to-date information about their stateâ??s policies and programs. The survey questions cover a number of domains including: conditions under which foster youth can remain in care after turning 18; provision of independent living and transition services; opportunities for youth to reenter care; and use of state dollars to supplement federal funds from the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program. A number of online resources including state independent living program websites, the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Developmentâ??s State-by-State Fact Pages, and the Transition from Foster Care to Adulthood Wiki were also reviewed. The study was commissioned by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP).

These policy recommendations for the 111th Congress and the incoming President will begin to help lift children out of poverty and poor health, keep them safe, elevate our educational system to equip children for the 21st century, and engage youth in the nation's communities. Making the changes proposed in this document can save money, improve health, strengthen families, produce a more educated workforce for coming decades, and lay a base for an America that will thrive into the next century. - September 11, 2008

Research has found that foster youth who remain in care beyond age 18 are more likely to participate in services and tend to have better outcomes than those who do not. However, not all youth eligible to remain in care beyond age 18 do so. This study examines Illinois, one of the few states that extends care up to age 21, to identify the major factors that influence whether young people remain in care beyond 18. The study involved analysis of administrative data, a statewide survey of caseworkers, focus groups with substitute caregivers and with youth, and site visits to interview court personnel across the state. Findings indicate that strong advocacy within the juvenile court on behalf of foster youth plays a primary role in keeping youth in care. In Illinois, courts supervise all cases of youth in foster care, so once court jurisdiction ends, state care and services irrevocably end as well. By keeping cases open, court advocacy enables youth to continue to remain in care and receive other child welfare services. Court advocacy can also affect retention rates indirectly by exerting an influence on other factors that play a role in foster care decisions regarding keeping foster youth in care. A higher degree of court advocacy is associated with a greater availability of placements and services for older foster youth, more involvement by caseworkers and other adults, more positive attitudes about remaining in care beyond 18, and a greater awareness that, by law, youth may remain in care beyond 18.

Authors: Clark Peters, Katie S. Claussen Bell, Andrew Zinn, Robert M. Goerge, Mark E. Courtney