What It Takes: Assets to Support the Transition From Foster Care to Postsecondary Education

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 9:00 am
  In Roundtable Session: Engaging Students' Strengths and Assets to Foster Postsecondary Success (Table 28)

Abstract

Students in foster care have substantially lower rates of high school graduation, college entry, and college graduation than their same-grade peers (Day, Dworsky, & Feng, 2013; Okpych & Courtney, 2020). The objectives were to identify factors that influence the successful transition of students in foster care to higher education and, based on responses from foster students and caregivers, to explore how communities and schools can support foster students as they pursue post-secondary education. Fifteen focus groups were conducted, and findings emerged from both youth and caregivers regarding assets available to support transition aged youth in the foster care system who wish to pursue post-secondary education. The assets reported fell into five broad categories: community, school, family, financial, and individual.

Authors

• Stacie Kae Pettit, Georgia College & State University

• Ann DiGirolamo, Georgia State University

• Ursula Davis, Georgia State University

• Isis Graham, Georgia State University

• Jay Cordova, Georgia State University

• Asantewaa Darkwa

• Katherine Barker, Augusta University