Policy Analysis of Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008

Abstract

Youth “age out” of the child welfare when they are no longer eligible for services due to their age. These youth often face hardships across multiple domains of their lives. Recent evidence shows youth remaining in care beyond age 18 fare better than those who exit care at age 18. With the passage of recent federal legislation, states have more opportunities for federal funding to extend services to youths “aging out.” This article explores the issue of youths aging out of the child welfare system and analyzes the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.

KEYWORDS:

• Aging out
• child welfare
• foster care
• policy analysis

Notes

1. The framework used is a modification of the Rosenberg and Stein Sarnott Framework that appears in Social Work and Social Problems (Cohen, 1964).

2. Other countries also are addressing the issue of youth aging out of care with federal legislation. For a comparative analysis of national policy for this problem, see Mendes and Moslehuddin (2006).

3. For a review of state policies see Dworsky and Havlicek (2009).