An exploration of life outcomes for college graduates with foster care histories by race: Preliminary results from a campus-based program

Yvonne A. Unrau, Ann W. Dawson, Jonathan C. Anthony, Tamara M. Toutant and Ronicka D. Hamilton

Children and Youth Services Review, 2020, vol. 116, issue C

Abstract: There is limited knowledge about what life is like for young adults with experience in foster care after graduating with a baccalaureate degree. Research has clearly established that youth and young adults face many challenges during and after the foster care experience. This paper explores how college graduates with foster care histories fare after graduating from a 4-year college that offered a campus-based program. Additionally, life outcomes for the graduates are examined by racial identity. A web-based survey was sent to 109 graduates from 2010 to 2017. All were supported by a single campus-based program, and 41 individuals responded for a 37% response rate, which limits generalizability to all graduates. The results offer a preliminary portrait of college graduates with foster care histories who received support from a campus-based program in areas of employment, housing, finances, health, relationships and life skills. Racial identity was associated with some outcomes, indicating that graduates in the racial minority grouping reported lesser outcomes in some instances compared to their White peers. Future research is needed to determine which programmatic elements are most critical to promote success post-graduation, as well as the differential impact of program support across the various identities and societal conditions that intersect with college students who have foster care histories.

Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:116:y:2020:i:c:s0190740920301717

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105108

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