Abstract: Immigration Status and Transitional Independent Living Plan Completion Among Transition-Age Youth (Society for Social Work and Research 29th Annual Conference)

Schedule:

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Willow A, Level 2 (Sheraton Grand Seattle)

* noted as presenting author

Anthony Gómez, MSW, Doctoral Student, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Kristina Lovato, PhD, MSW, Assistant Professor, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Andrea Eastman, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Mark Courtney, PhD, Co-Director of the Transition-Age Youth Research and Evaluation Hub, University of California, Berkeley

Background: Historically unreliable documentation of youth immigration status has impeded knowledge about the prevalence and needs of undocumented transition-age youth in foster care. Considering immigrant youth may experience obstacles that increase their likelihood of aging out of care, and the potential loss of eligibility for benefits when they become adults, it is critical they receive legal and other relevant services as they transition into adulthood. The present study examines the relationship between immigration status and transition to independent living plan (TILP) completion. Specifically, we answer three questions: (Q1) Has child welfare-documented immigration status changed over time?; (Q2) Have TILP completion rates changed over time?; and (Q3) Do TILP completion outcomes vary by immigration status?

Method: Data were derived from California’s administrative child protective case records. The sample included youth in care for at least 12 months on or after their 16^th birthday between 2015 and 2022 (the age of required TILP completion; N = 19,610). Immigration status was measured as a four-level categorical variable: U.S. citizen, legal resident, undocumented, and missing. TILP completion was measured using three variables: any TILP completion (dichotomous), the number of lifetime TILPs, and the discrepancy between lifetime TILPs and the number of TILPs required per state regulation. RQ1 and RQ2 were answered using chi-square trend tests and one-way ANOVAs. RQ3 was answered using chi-square tests, one-way ANOVAs, and multivariate logistic and negative binomial regression. Multivariate models controlled for sociodemographic and case characteristics. We performed sensitivity analyses where missing immigration status was recoded to U.S. citizens and undocumented given high immigration status missingness (20.6%).

Results: Chi-square test of trends indicated missingness in immigration status increased by 5% (c² = 37.9, p < .001, V = .05). Similarly, the overall proportion of youth with at least one completed TILP increased by 13% (c² = 167.7, p < .001, V = .10). Chi-square and one-way ANOVAs showed TILP completion (c² = 166.0, p < .001, V = .09), the number of TILPs (F(3, 19,606) = 107.5, p < .001, η2 = .02), and TILP discrepancies (F(3, 19,606) = 75.6, p < .001, η2 = .02) varied by immigration status, with legal residents and youth with missing immigration statuses having worse TILP outcomes. Multivariate models showed that youth with missing immigration statuses had lower odds of having a TILP (OR = 0.57, p < .001), a lower number of TILPs (IRR = 0.66, p < .001), and higher TILP discrepancies (IRR = 1.24, p < .001). Sensitivity analyses suggest immigration status missingness biased results, with undocumented youth showing worse TILP outcomes when missing youth were recoded as undocumented.

Conclusion and Implications: Results highlight the need to accurately document immigration status as a first step in understanding the prevalence and needs of immigrant youth aging out of care. Future research should evaluate whether immigration status documentation improves and generates a better understanding of immigration-related youth needs and outcomes.