An Examination of Immigration Status and Its Implications for Transition-Age Youth in the Child Welfare System - 2025

Authors: Anthony Gómez; Kristina K. Lovato; Andrea Lane Eastman; Mark E. Courtney

Despite the growing population of undocumented young adults living in the United States, little is known about the prevalence and experiences of undocumented transition-age youth (TAY) in foster care. This study evaluated the research utility of immigration status documentation in California’s administrative child protective case records prior to the enactment of Assembly Bill 829, which aimed to enhance coordination between child welfare and legal services through timely attorney notification. We also explored the relationships between immigration status and Transitional Independent Living Plan (TILP) outcomes, a semi-annual document that describes youths’ goals and the resources needed to achieve them. Results showed that missingness in immigration status was common and increased over time. U.S. citizens and undocumented youth were more likely to have TILPs than youth who were legal residents or had a missing immigration status. Findings underscore both opportunities to invest in services for undocumented TAY and the complexities of documenting immigration status in administrative records.