April 29, 2009

The Difficult Transition to Adulthood for Foster Youth in the US: Implications for the State as Corporate Parent

In this report, the U.S. child welfare system is briefly described, research on the transition to adulthood for foster youth is summarized, and the findings of this research are placed in the context of knowledge of normative transitions to adulthood, arguing that the outcomes observed for foster youth are cause for concern. The evolution of U.S. policy towards foster youth making the transition to adulthood using the concept of "corporate parenting" is then described. In conclusion, recent policy developments provide an excellent opportunity to improve transition outcomes for foster youth, but that lingering challenges still exist and policy and program development must be accompanied by strategic use of research and evaluation to maximize this opportunity.