Investigating the link between school performance, aftercare and educational outcome among youth ageing out of foster care: a Norwegian nationwide longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Prior research on public interventions targeting youth ageing out of public care (‘aftercare’) and related educational outcome is scarce. The ones that exist indicate that youth receiving aftercare increase their chances of accomplishing higher education and thereby lower risk of social exclusion in later adult life. Yet, little is known about the characteristics of those who receive aftercare measures compared to the ones that enter adulthood without the same support. By using Norwegian nationwide longitudinal administrative data of the total population born 1986–1990 placed in long term foster care, this article provides empirical insight on how foster youths’ resources as reflected by school performance at age 16 is related to the chances of receiving aftercare. Furthermore, it explores to what extent such a selection might mediate the relationship between aftercare service and completion of upper secondary school at age 21. The results show that medium and to some extent high-achievers are more prone to receive aftercare measures from the child welfare system. However, this selection does not explain the positive educational effects of aftercare. Staying in foster care beyond the age of 18 has a strong positive effect on completion of upper secondary school which is not altered when taking selection into account.

Keywords:

• Child welfare interventions
• foster care
• aftercare
• school performance
• educational success