Postsecondary Educational Attainment of Young People Leaving Care in the USA: Implications for Practice and Policy
Research over the past two decades has generally shown poor postsecondary educational outcomes for youth transitioning to adulthood from out-of-home care, but research on the topic is limited. The California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study (CalYOUTH) has been following the educational trajectories of a population-based sample of youth in out-of-home care into adulthood. The study has followed 727 youth who were first interviewed in 2013 while still in care at age 17, with follow-up interviews at age 19 (n = 611; 84% sample retention) and 21 (n = 616; 85% sample retention). This chapter describes trends in the secondary and postsecondary educational attainment of these young people, support they received to pursue their education, and the obstacles they have encountered along the way. The study’s findings have implications for social work practice and policies and programs intended to positively influence the postsecondary educational attainment of youth transitioning to adulthood from state care.