Collaborative Research and Policy Advocacy for System Change for Transition Age Adults Exiting Foster Care: A State Policy Reform Example from the 2024 Legislative Session

Abstract: During the 2024 legislative session Washington state passed legislation eliminating eligibility requirements for Extended Foster Care (EFC), eligibility requirements which previously kept many young adults exiting foster care from accessing critically needed monthly stipends. The presentation describes the participatory and collaborative systems assessment of EFC undertaken by social work researchers guided by an advisory group of young adults with lived expertise. The systems assessment study synthesized data across multiple sources, including existing needs assessment data from a youth voice consulting group, state agency service utilization findings, and original data collected by the social work researchers from EFC staff and community partners.

Policy change efforts were led by a community-based advocacy organization in coalition with other organizations, partners, and lived experts. Policy advocacy efforts focused on the top 2 recommendations from the study, namely to expand EFC reach and participation and remove eligibility criteria. This presentation focuses on the research-to-policy experience of one State, but findings from the study and lessons learned offer important implications for policy advocacy in other states and at the federal level.

Background: For those exiting foster care at 18-21 years of age without sufficient supports, the potential for economic and housing insecurity is real. University-based Social Work researchers were contracted to conduct a systems assessment of EFC in their state to identify service and benefit gaps and needed policy reforms.

Methods: The systems assessment entailed a synthesis of existing administrative data supplemented with qualitative data gathered through four focus groups with State Agency staff and interviews with 14 community partners. Rapid qualitative thematic analysis allowed for efficient analysis and sorting of the data to gather findings quickly for reporting out in advance of the legislative session. Data were triangulated across all sources (focus groups, interviews, literature review, administrative reports of service utilization (N=990), and existing needs assessment data from a survey of EFC participants (N=63).

Results: Broad-ranging findings provided valuable insight on the benefits of EFC, specific gaps and potential services, benefits, and approaches to improve EFC in the state. Emerging as critical through lines in the qualitative data were housing stability and the necessity of a dependable monthly stipend. Expanding participation therefore represents a critical policy goal, yet existing eligibility criteria are a barrier to participation in EFC. State agency workers similarly pointed to the complexity of eligibility rules and regional variation in how eligibility is interpreted.

Conclusions: The evidence underscored the need to expand participation in EFC and the advocacy coalition therefore sought to eliminate eligibility requirements. Legislation was introduced in the 2024 legislative session and was successfully passed and enacted in one session. The effect of this policy reform is that all young adults exiting foster care at 18 in Washington State will be eligible for EFC benefits and services, including the critical monthly stipend. This presentation illustrates the potential of collaboration between researchers, community-based advocates, and individuals with lived expertise to advance meaningful policy change.