The Association of Social Capital to Educational Outcomes Among Older Foster Youth: Does Racial Group Membership Matter?

Background and Purpose: Negative psychosocial outcomes among older foster care youth and alumni have been documented for some time. Recent findings show that foster care alumni lag behind their counterparts without child welfare involvement in earnings, level of education, and completion of high school (Mersky & Janczewski, 2013).  In this study, we examine whether indicators of social capital are differentially associated to educational outcomes among older foster youth based on their racial group membership.

Methods: Participants were 404 youth who were in the care and custody of the Missouri Children’s Division. The average age of youth was 16.99 (SD = .09) years. The analysis for the present study focused on the 385 participants who self-identified as African American (n = 207; 117 females, 90 males) or White non-Hispanic (n= 178; 99 females, 79 males). Social capital was measured by a number of indices: specific background characteristics (e.g., placement type); home help; social religiosity (i.e., church attendance, youth groups); extracurricular activities; and helpful people.

We used linear regression analysis to examine indicators of social capital associated to continuous educational outcomes – grades and educational plans.  Logistic regression analysis was used for dichotomous educational outcomes – failing any classes, repeating a grade, and expulsions from school.  Each of the models was run separately for African American and White older foster youth.

Results: Indicators of social capital were related in similar and different ways to educational outcomes for older African American and White foster youth.  For example, greater engagement in extracurricular activities was related to lower likelihood of having failed any classes or been expelled from school among both groups.  Engagement in extracurricular activities was also related to better grades and lower likelihood of repeating a grade among White non-Hispanic foster youth and greater educational plans among African American foster youth.  In addition, for both groups, more frequent church attendance was related to greater educational plans.  Examples of contrasting findings included better grades among African American older foster youth in congregate care placements compared to those in kinship care.  Among White older foster youth, grades were poorer for those in non-kin foster homes compared to those in kinship care.

Conclusions and Implications: The similar and differential associations between participation in extracurricular activities and more optimal educational outcomes demonstrate for social workers, educators, and other practitioners that serve the foster youth population that participation in these activities should be viewed not as optional but essential to their educational attainment.  It is also important that institutional agents, particular child welfare workers, be aware of those background and case characteristics that differentially foster and impede positive educational outcomes for African American compared to White older foster youth.  As the findings from Okpych and Courtney (2014) suggest, graduating from high school has enormous benefits for older foster care youth and alumni. Prospective studies are needed to examine the relationship of social capital to actual high school graduation, college enrollment, and college completion.