Session: From Calyouth to Tay-Hub: Advancing Research and Support for Transition-Age Youth in Foster Care (Society for Social Work and Research 28th Annual Conference - Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science)

All in-person and virtual presentations are in Eastern Standard Time Zone (EST).

SSWR 2024 Poster Gallery: as a registered in-person and virtual attendee, you have access to the virtual Poster Gallery which includes only the posters that elected to present virtually. The rest of the posters are presented in-person in the Poster/Exhibit Hall located in Marquis BR Salon 6, ML 2. The access to the Poster Gallery will be available via the virtual conference platform the week of January 11. You will receive an email with instructions how to access the virtual conference platform.

33 From Calyouth to Tay-Hub: Advancing Research and Support for Transition-Age Youth in Foster Care

Schedule:
Thursday, January 11, 2024: 3:15 PM-4:45 PM
Marquis BR Salon 13, ML 2 (Marriott Marquis Washington DC)
Cluster:
Symposium Organizer:
Andrea Eastman, PhD, University of Southern California
Discussant:
Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago
Transitioning to adulthood is challenging for foster youth, many of whom come from marginalized backgrounds and lack family support. Previous research indicates that transition-aged youth (TAY) in foster care often face worse outcomes compared to non-foster peers in areas like education, employment, mental health, physical health, housing stability, and social support. The 2008 Fostering Connections Act addresses this issue by allowing states to claim federal reimbursement for foster care costs for eligible youth until age 21. California, with the largest foster care population in the US, adopted an ambitious and inclusive approach, making it a crucial case study. Child welfare agencies, courts, public institutions, and service providers are adjusting to caring for adults despite limited experience. However, there is a scarcity of research on the needs and experiences of young adults in foster care.

The California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study (CalYOUTH), the most comprehensive longitudinal study of TAY in foster care, evaluated implementation of California's foster care extension. The CalYOUTH study interviewed TAY in foster care at ages 17, 19, 21, and 23, surveyed caseworkers, and analyzed government administrative records on youths' maltreatment and foster care histories, education, earnings, and public aid. Baseline interviews were conducted in 2013 with a stratified statewide sample of 727 youth aged 16.75-17.75 with at least six months in care (95% response rate). Follow-up interviews were conducted with 84% (n=611) in 2015, 85% (n=616) in 2017, and 86% (n=622) in 2019-2020 of baseline sample. The CalYOUTH study concluded data collection in 2022, but ongoing data analysis continues to yield valuable insights on the experiences and outcomes of TAY in foster care. These findings inform policy and practice improvements to better support this vulnerable population.

Building on these achievements while housed at the University of Chicago, the CalYOUTH study has transitioned to the Transition-Age Youth Research and Evaluation Hub (TAY-Hub) within the California Child Welfare Indicators Project at UC Berkeley, bolstering California's capacity to generate and analyze data on TAY in care. The TAY-Hub successfully launched a publicly available data portal on outcomes of TAY in California, which enables access to vital descriptive and outcome data about TAY currently or previously in foster care. The TAY-Hub specializes in research related to policies and practices affecting transition-age youth by monitoring outcomes and through applied research. This work is grounded in engagement with members of the child welfare services community, including those with lived experience of foster care. Current and planned work includes additional targeted research using California child welfare data and matching to administrative data related to key outcomes in education, employment, births, and public benefits.

This symposium features presentations addressing longstanding gaps in policy and practice, as identified by communities of interest, including: the development of independent living plans, factors associated with placement mobility, identification of subgroups with distinct profiles, mitigating the likelihood of incarceration, and trends in outcomes for parenting youth. Findings have implications for implementation of the Fostering Connections Act and for targeting services to transition-age youth with experience in foster care.

* noted as presenting author
Does Transition Planning Increase Service Use Among Older Adolescents in Foster Care?
Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Nathanael Okpych, PhD, University of Connecticut; Justin Harty, PhD, Arizona State University; Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago
Distinct Subgroups of Care-Experienced Youth and Their Outcomes in Early Adulthood: Results from a Latent Class Analysis
Nathanael Okpych, PhD, University of Connecticut; Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Justin Harty, PhD, Arizona State University; Keunhye Park, Phd, University of Chicago
Risks of Incarceration: Impact of Social Support Networks in the Transition to Adulthood
Keunhye Park, Phd, University of Chicago; Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago; Andrea Eastman, PhD, University of Southern California; Nathanael Okpych, PhD, University of Connecticut
Examining Parenting Foster Youth Status and Outcomes at Different Ages: Implications for Tailored Interventions and Support for Parents in State Care
Justin Harty, PhD, Arizona State University; Nathanael Okpych, PhD, University of Connecticut; Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago
Placement Mobility for Nonminor Dependents in Extended Foster Care
Andrea Eastman, PhD, University of Southern California; Ivy Hammond, MSW, University of California Berkeley; Keunhye Park, Phd, University of Chicago; Mark Courtney, PhD, University of Chicago
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