Poster #62 - YAVFC - Young Adult Voluntary Foster Care Does it Make a Difference?

• In Event: Poster Session 04

Abstract

The transition to adulthood for youth in foster care is complicated because family relationships and support are often compromised, and histories of trauma can interfere with the achievement of developmental milestones. The current study investigates the Young Adult Voluntary Foster Care Program (YAVFC) which provides extended foster care benefits including housing stipends and continued case management services, to foster care youth 18 to 21 years of age, intended to help foster youth make a successful transition to adulthood. There has been no formal evaluation of the impact this program has had on the foster care population. In the study we seek to (1) understand the rate of enrollment for YAVFC, and (2) understand whether the policy shift to offer adolescents the opportunity to remain in foster care has any significant impact on the rate of justice involvement as these youth move into early adulthood. Guided by life course theory, we hypothesized that youth removed from their homes and placed in foster care will have increased rates of criminal justice involvement and that these rates will be exacerbated for youth who fail to reach permanency. We also hypothesized these emerging adults who age out of the foster care system given the right resources, YAVFC, will decrease their likelihood of adult arrest. We approach the evaluation of YAVFC with an intent to treat design because youth were not randomized into the program.We analyze statewide risk assessments and administrative records for child welfare, juvenile justice, and the state police. Official records from Michigan State Police were used to identify adult offenders with a history of foster care and/or are former juvenile offenders with access to YAVFC. Event history models were developed to estimate the risk of subsequent offending. The sample was diverse (51 % female, 37 % African American, 8 % Multiracial, 4 % Other) and included all Michigan foster care youth that turned 18 while still in care between 2008 and 2019 (n = 5,861).This data includes demographic information, foster care status (e.g. removal and placement dates, types of placements, and circumstances leading to placement), juvenile justice records, and adult arrests in the State of Michigan. Consistent with our hypotheses, emerging adults who participated in YAVFC were significantly less likely to offend as adults compared with youth who aged out of foster care before the policy was enacted, 𝛽 = -.38, p < .001. We found that youth with prior juvenile records, greater number of substantiated abuse or allegation reports, and increased number of placements were significantly more likely to offend as an adult. The findings of the current study indicate that ongoing resources (e.g., housing stipends and case management) play a critical role in explaining the outcomes for emerging adults that age out of foster care. Future research will focus on selection bias in order to better understand what youth choose to engage in the program. We also hope to complete a cost benefit analysis to determine the feasibility of the YAVFC in other states.

Authors

• Brittani Parham, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  Presenting Author

• Juan Jauregui, UCLA

• Joseph Ryan