Early Findings on the Relationship between Extended Foster Care and Youths’ Outcomes at Age 19

Studies have shown that foster youth tend to struggle more than their peers as they enter adulthood, including in education, employment, homelessness, mental health, and criminal justice. Recent evidence suggests that allowing foster youth to remain in care after age 18 can lead to beneficial outcomes. This study explored whether extended foster care helped foster teens as they transitioned to adulthood in California. Findings show that staying in care after age 18 improved many outcomes, including completing a high school diploma or GED, enrolling in college, having more assets, avoiding economic hardship and homelessness, decreasing reliance on need-based public aid, and avoiding being convicted of a crime.