“I Used to Have so Much Ambition”: Experiences of Cumulative Adversity and School Supports Among Cross-System Youth

Background & Purpose: Children and youth who experience homelessness and involvement in the child welfare system (termed cross-system youth) are at high risk of educational failure due to factors including high residential and school mobility, unstable child welfare placements, histories of trauma and adverse childhood experiences, and chronic absenteeism. Little research has examined the experiences of cross-system youth but research within each system indicates several opportunities for intervention that could ameliorate negative educational outcomes. This study explored the following research questions: (1) What are the dynamics of adversity and risk throughout K-12 schooling for cross-system youth? and (2) What role does school-based and school-linked support, both formal and informal, play in shaping the development of cross-system youth?

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 young adults (age 18-24). Participants were recruited from community-based organizations and were included if they had experienced homelessness, child welfare system involvement, and educational difficulties prior to age 18. Three researchers independently coded the first three transcripts, using open coding to inductively identify themes emerging from the data. After reaching consensus on a list of primary codes, the remaining transcripts were coded by a single coder. The first author reviewed all transcripts and synthesized themes from the open coding. Concepts from life course, cumulative adversity, and risk and resilience theories informed these themes.

Results: Youth reported positive experiences in elementary school but noted significant changes during middle and high school, with increased bullying, declines in academic grades, and increases in disciplinary action. Multiple residential and school moves, interpersonal difficulties with peers, familial instability, changes in foster care placements, and aging out of the foster care system emerged as key nonacademic events that contributed to youths’ educational outcomes. Further, a school-specific adversity theme emerged that described youths’ adverse experiences in school, including chronic absenteeism, low engagement, behavioral problems, exclusionary discipline, and dropout.

Participants identified few formal school-based supports that influenced their educational trajectories, indicating instead feelings of anger and isolation related to school. Informal school-based and school-linked support was helpful for the youth. Most notably, meaningful relationships with individual teachers and positive experiences in sports and recreation were identified as sources of support and motivation. Youth primarily remembered their interaction with school counselors and other support staff as their first connection to Child Protective Services (CPS) because their involvement with the child welfare system began after the youth’s initial disclosure of abuse at school.

Conclusions: Findings highlight the complexity of cross-system youths’ experiences in education, noting the cumulative adversity that develops as youth engage with CPS, experience residential instability, and become less involved in school. Undoubtedly, the triple-impact of engagement in all three systems plays an important role in these youths’ development. This study underscores the need for schools to enhance partnerships with community providers who offer nonacademic supports such as sports, recreation, and mentoring. Finally, more research should investigate the relationships between school support personnel and child welfare workers, both personally and on a systemic level, to improve youths’ experiences of their initial involvement with CPS.