Independent living skills program use and outcomes of youth in and aging out of foster care in Florida

ABSTRACT

Independent living (IL) skills can assist youth in and aging out of foster care transition to adulthood. Research consistently documents that youth aging out of foster care are resilient, yet often face challenges developing self-sufficiency. Using National Youth Transition Database (NYTD) data for Florida, this study examined receipt of IL services and outcomes for youth at ages 17 and 19. Results showed most youth did not receive IL services across several domains. Many youth experienced homelessness, incarceration, and substance abuse referrals after leaving care. Findings suggest that child welfare professionals should ensure that youth receive IL services while in foster care.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth in foster care
• aging out
• independent living skills
• NYTD
• transition aged youth

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Florida Institute for Child Welfare.The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect. The data used in this publication, National Youth Transition Database (Dataset #259 Services File and Dataset #242 Outcomes File), were obtained from the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect and have been used in accordance with its Terms of Use Agreement license. The Administration on Children, Youth and Families, the Children’s Bureau, the original dataset collection personnel or funding source, NDACAN, Cornell University and their agents or employees bear no responsibility for the analyses or interpretations presented here.

Notes on contributors

Lisa Schelbe

Lisa Schelbe is an associate professor at Florida State University College of Social Work and a faculty affiliate at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. She is the director of the Child Well-being Research Network and serves as co-Editor-in-Chief of Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. Lisa received a Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-Being (2011–2013). Her primary research interest focuses broadly on child welfare, child maltreatment prevention, and child well-being. Specifically, her research examines the experiences of young people “aging out” of foster care. She is interested in research dissemination and the formation of research-policy-practice partnerships. Lisa is a qualitative methodologist with experience working on interdisciplinary teams. She authored a book, Some Type of Way: Aging Out of Foster Care, which is an ethnography of youth aging out. She also co-authored two books: The Handbook on Child Welfare Practice and Intergenerational Transmission of Child Maltreatment.

Hyunji Lee

Hyunji Lee is a postdoctoral scholar at Florida Institute for Child Welfare at Florida State University College of Social Work. Her research has centered on identifying protective factors that reduce impacts of adverse childhood experience on outcomes in later life, especially preventing transmission of violence across generations.

Michael Henson

Michael Henson is a postdoctoral scholar at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare at Florida State University College of Social Work. Using diverse qualitative methodologies, his research examines issues in child welfare from multiple systemic levels. His past projects have focused on child welfare workforce development, training, and issues related youth transitioning out of care.