The Bridging Success Initiative - From Foster Care to a College Degree Felicia Ganther, J.D. Stephanie Garman, MNpS

Beginning this Journey…

Foster care 101 Glossary of terms: Foster Care Aging Out Group Home/ Congregant Care Extended Foster Care

Arizona Children in Foster Care 2010 -2015

Arizona Children in Foster Care aged 13 + by Placement Type Relative Foster Family Group Home Residential Treatment Total Percentage in Congregant Care 13 244 161 146 52 603 33% 14 261 193 179 77 710 36% 15 224 207 94 686 44% 16 229 263 114 799 47% 17 173 289 124 747 55% 18 and older 42 73 85 111 311 63%

Youth who have experienced foster care: have significantly higher rates of absenteeism and disciplinary referrals than their peers are more likely to perform below grade level (75% perform below grade level) are about twice as likely to be held back in school (83% are held back by third grade) drop out of school nearly twice as frequently (50% obtain a high school diploma/GED) attend a four-year college at a significantly lower rate (fewer than 3% do so)

Outcomes for youth in Foster care Without educational success, youth aging out of foster care are ill-equipped to support themselves. The cost to these youth and society is extraordinary: Over 25% experience homelessness Over 25% spend time incarcerated About 33% receive public assistance Unemployment rates top 50%

Trauma in Foster care It is impossible to be in foster care for any length of time without experiencing trauma! The experience of trauma can create “toxic stress”

Outcomes of Trauma Children who are exposed to trauma can experience: Persistent fear response Hyperarousal Increased internalizing symptoms Diminished executive functioning Weakened response to positive feedback Challenging social interactions

What is Maricopa doing to help? Creating supportive learning environments where students receive the support they need to achieve academic success Offering targeted outreach to youth in foster care and those who serve them to highlight educational opportunities Providing referrals and resources for non-education related needs that might interfere with degree completion

Challenges in our first year Lack of documents Confusion on FAFSA/ financial aid Verification

For more info or a more in depth training: Contact Stephanie Garman 480-731-8093 Stephanie.garman@domail.Maricopa.edu