WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the first study of outcomes and success factors for 1,609 youth in foster care between 1966 and 1998, researchers from Harvard Medical School and Casey Family Programs found that completion of high school and access to postsecondary educational opportunities such as college or vocational training are critical to their success as adults. The results of this research are being shared with leaders in higher education and child welfare to further understand how all foster youth can be better prepared for adulthood.
The study points to variables predicting success in adulthood for former foster youth, including:
- Life skills preparation
- Completing a high school diploma or GED prior to leaving care
- Scholarships for college or job training
- Participation in clubs and organizations for youth while in foster care
- Not being homeless within a year of leaving care
- Minimized academic problems
- Minimized use of alcohol or drugs
“Every year more than 20,000 teens turn 18 and must leave foster care, frequently without the appropriate life skills or educational opportunities to support them as independent adults,” said Ruth Massinga, President and CEO, Casey Family Programs. “This research conclusively shows a series of factors that, when consistently used, can best prepare a youth in foster care for adult success. We are hopeful that putting these results into the field will ultimately benefit all disadvantaged youth, particularly in the areas of postsecondary education.”
“The findings of this research underscore the critical importance of educational opportunities in successful youth development and ultimately adult self-sufficiency,” said Ron Kessler, Professor, Harvard Medical School. “Because of the many unique challenges youth in foster care face, they need a solid education to ensure a successful future. For example, we now know that when foster youth do not complete a postsecondary degree, they are statistically more likely than the general population to face such challenges as homelessness, incarceration and lower lifetime earning potential.”
More than 1500 Casey Family Programs alumni were interviewed and their responses benchmarked with peer foster care agencies and the general population. Massinga noted Casey Family Programs found that their alumni tended to fare better than other foster youth but did not fare as well as the general population.
“We are pleased our findings support the important work of Casey Family Programs by demonstrating that our alumni, on average, are better prepared for adulthood than many other foster youth,” said Peter J. Pecora, Ph.D., Senior Director of Research Services, Casey Family Programs. “This is in part due to our commitment to supportive foster homes and limiting the number of placements while a child is in foster care, which has been shown to improve their educational outcomes.”
Higher Education Summit Convened
On Nov. 13, 2003, Casey Family Programs will convene a Higher Education and Child Welfare Summit in Washington, D.C. The Summit’s goal is to address barriers to higher education for youth transitioning out of foster care, and to bridge the gap between the postsecondary education and child welfare communities. Participants include leaders from the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the American Council on Education, the Children’s Defense Fund, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and others.
“This summit is a critical opportunity for the child welfare and higher education communities to come together in support of creating new and better postsecondary educational opportunities for foster youth,” said Massinga.
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About Harvard Medical School
www.hms.harvard.edu
Harvard Medical School has more than 5,000 full-time faculty working in eight academic departments based at the School's Boston quadrangle or in one of 47 academic departments at 17 Harvard teaching hospitals and research institutes. Those Harvard hospitals and research institutions include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge Hospital, The CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, Children's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Joslin Diabetes Center, Judge Baker Children's Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, McLean Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and VA Boston Healthcare System.