California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study: Responses from Youth at Age 19 - 2016

The CalYOUTH study provides the most comprehensive view to date of young people transitioning to adulthood from foster care in California. This first-of-its-kind, multi-year study is a valuable resource for policymakers, program developers, advocates, and practitioners interested in better meeting the needs of transition-age youth in care. CalYOUTH is a five-year (2012-17) ongoing study designed to evaluate the impact of extended foster care on youth outcomes. The study seeks to answer the following questions: 1. Does extending foster care past age 18 influence
youth outcomes during the transition to adulthood? 2. What factors influence the types of support youth receive during the transition to adulthood in the context of extended foster care? 3. How do living arrangements and other services that result from extending foster care influence the relationship between extending care and youth outcomes? To help answer these questions, the study is collecting and analyzing data from transition-age youth and child welfare workers providing services to foster youth, and analyzing government program data. Interviews are conducted with the same youth at ages 17, 19, and 21. This CalYOUTH Wave 2 Youth Survey reports their responses at age 19.