Remaining in Foster Care After Age 18 and Youth Outcomes at the Transition to Adulthood: A Review

Abstract

Many foster youth do not exit care for a permanency option and remain in foster care until they age out or are emancipated. Research findings have described the alarming circumstances of these former foster children’s adaptation to emerging adulthood. Public policy over the past three decades has sought various means of improving outcomes for these former foster youth. This review examines the legislative history leading up to extended care, the research on youth leaving foster care, youth preferences for extended care, the competition of extended care with permanency options, and the effects of extended foster care on transition-age youth. The benefits that can be had from such an extension are outlined.

Supporting transitions to adulthood for youth leaving care: Consensus based principles

“…Over the past decade, much research has been conducted in relation to care leaving and the transition to adulthood (e.g. Jones, 2019;Mendes & Snow, 2016).…”

An inter-disciplinary perspective on evaluation of innovation to support care leavers’ transition

“…In the United Kingdom (UK), care leavers experience an 'accelerated and compressed' journey to adulthood compared with their non-looked after peers for whom transition is more gradual and ongoing support from key adult figures in their lives is more likely to be available (Jones, 2019;Mendes and Rogers, 2020;Stein, 2006Stein, , 2012. Many young people leaving care are likely to experience multiple and bewildering transitions that evoke feelings of instability, powerlessness, unpreparedness, abandonment and mistrust (Butterworth et al, 2017;Stein, 2012).…”

Young People Transitioning from Out-of-Home Care: What are the Lessons from Extended Care Programmes in the USA and England for Australia?

“…Young people transitioning from out-of-home care (OOHC), often called care leavers or care experienced young people, are recognized universally as a vulnerable group who have generally not received the ongoing and holistic support that they require to transition successfully into adult life. Numerous research studies have reported common concerns around poor outcomes in relation to housing, health, education, training and employment, and other core development needs (Jones, 2019;Mann-Feder and Goyette, 2019;Stein and Munro, 2008;Stott, 2013;Woodgate et al, 2017).…”

“…Thirdly, most leave care at 18 years old or even younger, and do not receive the ongoing financial, social and emotional support and nurturing offered by most families of origin up to and even well beyond 25 years of age. In fact, many abruptly lose their limited existing supports from carers and other community connections whilst being expected to move rapidly to independent living (Jones, 2019). These 'accelerated and compressed transitions' to adulthood make it difficult for them to access mainstream educational, employment, housing, health and other development and transitional pathways (Stein, 2016: v).…”

“…One particular form of upgraded assistance has been the introduction of extended care programs in some jurisdictions which allow young people to remain in OOHC until 21 years of age or older. These programs are viewed as providing young people with a more gradual and flexible transition process based on levels of maturity and skill development, rather than simply age, that is likely to facilitate improved outcomes (Burley and Lee, 2010;Collins, 2015;Jones, 2019;McGhee, 2017;Stein, 2012). They seem to reflect the influence of social investment ideas (Morel et al, 2012), whereby greater resources are invested in these young people in an attempt to facilitate their inclusion into the social and economic mainstream, rather than allowing them to fall into entrenched long-term disadvantage.…”