Sexual Minority Youth Emancipating from Foster Care: An Examination of Outcomes at Age 19

Background and Purpose: Young adults who emancipate from foster care are at risk for myriad of unfavorable outcomes, including educational underachievement, unemployment and dependence on public assistance. However, it is currently unknown whether the outcomes of sexual minority youth (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual) differ in some way from their heterosexual peers. The purpose of the present study was to examine educational, vocational and economic self-sufficiency outcomes of sexual minority youth as they transition from foster care to independence.

Methods: Data and Samples: We conducted a secondary data analysis using the Chafee Independent Living Evaluation Project. Our sample consisted of 413 youth (163 males, 250 females) residing in a large metropolitan area in California. Measurement: At age 17, youth reported on their sexual orientation (i.e. heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual or “other”) as well as key child welfare variables, such as placement instability, school transitions and extent of prior maltreatment. At age 19, youths` educational, vocational and economic self-sufficiency outcomes were recorded. Youth who obtained a high school diploma or GED, were employed in the past 12 months, and avoided homelessness, dependence on public assistance and substantial financial hardship (e.g. begging for money, selling possessions) were labeled “well-functioning”. Data Analysis: Bivariate analyses (i.e. chi-square tests) were used to compare heterosexual and sexual minority youth on the above mentioned indicators. Logistic regression analysis was then conducted to examine the contribution of youths` sexual orientation at age 17 to their functioning at age 19 (i.e. using “well-functioning” as an outcome indicator), controlling for key demographics and child welfare variables.

Results: About 20% of youths (17.4% of males and 21.7% of females; N=81) identified as sexual minority at age 17. No significant racial or ethnic differences were detected between heterosexuals and their sexual minority peers. Nevertheless, bivariate analyses revealed that at age 19, sexual minority youth fared worse than heterosexuals on nearly every indicator studied. They were less likely to obtain a high school diploma or GED (43.2% versus 63%; χ²=9.65, p<.01) and be employed in the past year (54.3% versus 69.4%; χ²=5.98, p<.05), but more likely to report homelessness (25.9% versus 11.7%; χ²=9.38, p<.01) and dependence on public assistance (45.0% versus 25.7%, χ²=7.76, p<.01). Furthermore, only 10.4% of sexual minority youth reported positive functioning across domains (i.e. defined as “well-functioning”), compared to 24.1% of heterosexuals (χ²=6.03, p<.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that sexual orientation continued to be a significant predictor of youths` functioning status even after controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, child maltreatment, placement instability and the number of school transitions (OR=.35, p<.01).

Conclusions and Implications: Findings from this study reveal that sexual minority youth who emancipate from foster care may be a particularly vulnerable population, requiring unique supports during the period of transition to adulthood. Interventions targeting these youth, and in particular, development of intervention strategies targeting their educational and vocational outcomes, are sorely needed. Further research on the factors associated with their high-risk status is also necessary.