Extended Foster Care and Legal Permanency: An Update from CalYOUTH

With many states having now extended foster care to age 21, some people have expressed concerns about this extended care causing a decrease in legal permanency outcomes like adoption, family reunification, and guardianship. This study explored changes in permanency rates before and after California implemented extended foster care, including among foster care recipients after age 18 and by level of extended care. The analysis revealed no evidence that extended care is linked with a decrease among older foster youth in permanency rates, which had been declining before California instituted extended foster care.