FOSTER YOUTH OUTCOMES AT AGE 19
55%
ARE UNEMPLOYED
42%
DO NOT COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL
21%
EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS
NATIONALLY:
-
29% of foster youth experience homelessness within 2 years of exiting the system - Kids Count Data Center Youth Transitioning out of Foster Care
- By age 19, only 58% of foster youth receive a high school diploma or GED - National Youth in Transition Database March 2023
- By age 17, 30% experience incarceration and 24% are referred for substance abuse assessment or counseling - National Youth in Transition Database March 2023
- By age 21, 45% reported not having full- or part-time employment - National Youth in Transition Database November 2019
- 96% of foster youth want to attend college but fewer than 11% obtain a bachelor’s degree - Journal of College Access, NYTD Services Data Snapshot
IN CALIFORNIA:
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Just 65.7% of foster youth graduated high school compared to the statewide graduation rate of 86.7%. - California School Dashboard
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In the 2021-22 school year, 46.5% of CA foster youth students in K-12 were chronically absent compared to a rate of 29.9% for non-foster students. - California Department of Education Data Quest
- In the 2023-24 school year, 25% of foster youth in California dropped out of high school, as compared to 9% of non-foster students. - California Dept of Education
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Foster youth change placements an average of 1.5x per year before the age of 18 - The Role of Contextual Factors in EFC Participation & Human Capital Outcomes, 2023
- In the 2023-24 school year, 80% of foster youth in California did not meet the standard for the English Level CAASP test and 89% did not meet the standard for the Math CAASP test. - California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress
- 44.2% of foster youth in California report experiencing some level of justice system involvement before the age of 17 - Chapin Hall Research Brief September 2020