Root Causes: Youth Aging Out of Foster Care Without a Permanent Connection

Why is This Trend Important?

Studies comparing young people leaving foster care without legal permanency to their peers in the general population indicate that youth formerly in foster care experience less desirable outcomes. 

On average, youth who have aged out of foster care are: [1]

·         Less likely to have a high school diploma

·         Less likely to be pursing higher education

·         More likely to have experienced economic hardships

·         Less likely to be earning a living wage

·         More likely to have a child without being married

·         More likely to become involved in the juvenile justice system

·         More likely to have physical and mental health problems

What are the Forces and Influences at Work?

• Case practice and policy may not reflect an emphasis on permanency for older youth. Workers in programs for teenage youth often note resistance among many child welfare and court professionals to invest time and resources in establishing permanency for these young people. They may operate under the assumption that it is too late to find families for these youth.[2]

• There are not enough families recruited to adopt older youth. Many foster and adoptive families are interested in caring for babies and young children.  They may be intimidated by teenagers in foster care, especially those displaying difficult behaviors.  Often, child welfare agencies do not spend the time and resources necessary to reach out to families who may be interested in making a teen part of their family.  These families may be found outside the traditional avenues and with the help of the young person identifying people in his or her existing support system.[3] 

• Parental rights are terminated. A parent’s rights to custody may be terminated due to safety implications of caring for a young child.  By the time that child is a teenager, those factors have often been resolved or are no longer a threat.  However, once these rights have been terminated, they are difficult to reinstate.[4] 

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