Midwest Evaluation of Adult Outcomes of Former Foster Youth: Wave 1 Data Mark E. Courtney, Ph.D. Sherri Terao, Ed.D. Noel Bost, MSW

Purpose of Study Gather information about services provided to selected foster youth in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin Evaluate adult self-sufficiency outcomes achieved by the youth Provide guidance to 3 states to comply with provisions and overall purpose of John Chafee Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 Plan to follow youth longitudinally across 3 waves Wave 1 – youth’s 17 th birthday Wave 2 – youth’s 19 th birthday Wave 3 – youth’s 21 st birthday

Sample Foster youth in 3 states who reach the age of 17 years old while in out-of-home care In care for at least one year prior to their 17th birthday Primary focus on youth who are placed in out-of-home care due to abuse and/or neglect

Sample Cases Fielded (784) - Sample (n = 755) - Response Rate: 96.3% In-person interviews took place between April ’02-’03

Demographic Data Mean Age = years Gender - Total Sample Male: 375 (49.7%) Female:380 (50.3%)

Race of Sample White:249 (33.2%) Black:409 (54.5%) Asian/Pacific Islander: 5 (.7%) American Indian/Alaskan Native: 10 (1.3%) Mixed Race: 77 (10.3%)

Hispanic Ethnicity Total Sample: 64 (9%) By Race White: 16 (23.5%) Black: 12 (17.6%) Asian/Pacific Islander: * Amer. Indian/Alaskan: * Mixed Race: 36 (52.9%)

Caregiver Characteristics CharacteristicNumber% Alcohol Abuse Drug Abuse Mental Illness Mental Retardation182.5 Inadequate Parent Skills Spousal Abuse Criminal Record

Maltreatment History Abuse Type # of Youth % Abuse Neglect Abuse and Neglect

Current Living Situation Non-Relative Foster Home: 278 (37%) Relative Foster Home: 225 (29.9%) Group Care/Residential: 122 (16.2%) Adoptive Home: 6 (.8%) Independent Living Arrangement: 68 (9%) Other: 53 (7%) (e.g., living with friends, siblings, biological parent, dorm at college)

Total Number of Foster Placements 1 Placement (25.4%) 2 Placements (18.6%) 3 Placements (15%) 4 Placements (9.5%) 5 Placements (7.5%) 6 Placements (4.3%) 7 or more (15.9%)

Number of Group Homes/ Residential Trtmt. Centers 1 placement (22.6%) 2 placements (13.4%) 3 Placements (9.3%) 4 placements (5.9%) 5 or more (9.1%)

Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Education) Type of TrainingNumber% Career Counseling Study Skills Training School to Work Supp GED Prep SAT Prep Help with College Apps Help with Financial Aid College Fair Resume Writing Wkshp

Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Employment) Help WithNumber% Identifying Employers Completing Job App Develop Interview Skills Job Referral/Placement Career Resource Library Explanation of Benefits Obtaining Work Permit Explain Workplace Values Internship Summer Employ Programs

Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Finances) Type of TrainingNumber% Money Management Help w/ Tax Returns Use of a Budget Open a Checking/ Savings Account Balance Checkbook Consumer Awareness Access Info on Credit

Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Housing) Type of TrainingNumber% Help Finding an Apt Help w/ Apt. Applic Security Deposits/ Utilities Landlord Complaints Health/Safety Tenant’s Rights/ Responsibilities Cleaning Classes

Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Health/Hygiene) Type of TrainingNumber% Home Maint/Repair Personal Hygiene Nutritional Needs Meal Planning/Prep Health/Fitness Routine Healthcare Health/Dental Insur First Aid Course Maintain Health Record Birth Control Substance Abuse

Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Youth Development) Type of TrainingNumber% Youth Conferences Leadership Activities Mentoring Services

Independent Living Subsidy Number% Received IL Subsidy Currently Receiving Time Received (Months) < 1 month months months months months4 7.9 > 12 months5 9.9

Mental Health Status 279 (37.3%) youth reported receiving psychological/emotional counseling. 171 (22.8%) reported taking medication for emotional problems. 53 (7.1%) were hospitalized for psychological reasons.

Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) Results (n=755) Diagnosis # of Youth %  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)  Generalized Anxiety Disorder * *  Social Phobia 3.4  Alcohol Abuse  Alcohol Dependence  Substance Abuse  Substance Dependence

CIDI Results (Depression) Major Depression # of Youth %  Single episode, mild  Single episode, mod 7.9  Single episode, severe 8.8  Recurrent, mild  Recurrent, mod 7.9  Recurrent, severe 4.5 Total47 6

Health Status (Self-Report) Health Rating# of Youth% Excellent: % Very Good: % Good: % Fair: % Poor: 7.9%

Health Status 631 (84%) report their last medical exam was less than 1 year ago. 99 (13.2%) report their last medical exam was 1 to 2 years ago. 534 (70.7%) report their last dental exam was less than 1 year ago. 164 (21.8%) report their last dental exam was 1 to 2 years ago.

Education Enrolled in School: 623 (82.6%) Type of School: High School (85.1%) Vocational School - 11 (1.5%) College - 48 (6.4%) Other - 48 (6.4%) Special Education: 357 (47.7%) Received HS Diploma: 90 (11.9%) Received GED or Equivalent: 22 (2.9%) 275 (36.6%) repeated a grade Median Grade Equivalent Reading Score (WRAT-3): 7 th Grade

Educational Aspirations How much schooling would youth like to have? 9th - 11th Grade: 3 (.4%) Graduate from HS: 88 (11.7%) Some College: 98 (13.0%) Graduate from College: 363 (48.2%) More than College: 167 (22.2%) Other: 24 (3.2%) Don’t Know: 10 (1.3%) How much schooling does youth think they’ll have? 9th - 11th Grade: 2 (.3%) Graduate from HS: 104 (13.8%) Some College: 118 (15.7%) Graduate from College: 334 (44.4%) More than College: 109 (14.5%) Other: 39 (5.2%) Don’t Know: 47 (6.2%)

Employment 279 (37.1%) of the sample are currently employed. 225 (80.6%) are satisfied with their job. 51 (6.7%) are dissatisfied with their job.

Feelings About Foster Care 409 (54.4%) agree that they should have been placed in foster care. 459 (61%) are satisfied with their foster care experience. 431 (57.3%) agree that social workers were helpful to them. 218 of 278 (78.4%) of youth responding feel their foster parents were helpful.

Future Use of Foster Care System Likeliness in future to ask foster care agency for help with: Financial Help (46%) Personal Problems (47%) Employment Problems (49%) Family Problems (41.4%) Housing Problems (49.1%) Health Problems (38.4%) Other Problems (45.3%)

Relationships with Family Closeness To: Very Somewhat Not Very Not at all Close Close Close Close Current Foster 60.1% 29.1% 4.7% 6.1% Family Relatives 68% 26.2% 3.1% 2.2% (live with) Group Home33.6% 40.2% 11.5% 14.8% Birth Mom 36.7% 26.4% 14.8% 21.4% Birth Dad18% 16.9% 13.5% 49.6% Siblings 66.5% 19.2% 5.7% 5.9% Grandparents43% 20.2% 6.8% 16.2%

Visits with Family In The Past Year Family Member Median # visits Birth Mom: 15 Birth Dad: 10 Siblings: 24 Grandparents: 11

Visits with Social Worker In the Past Year Median #% no calls or visits Visits12 3.0% Phone Calls6 17%

Legal Involvement Respondents: (n=755) Males254 (68.5%) Females176 (46.4%) Question Males Females Arrested 230 (62%) 160 (42.2%) Convicted of crime 116 (31.3%) 61 (16.1%) Jail, prison, J. Hall 173 (46.6%) 98 (25.9%)

Delinquency Questions Behavior over the past year Response  Paint graffiti on property 64 (8.5%)  Deliberately damage property 158 (21%)  Lie to parent (figure) about whereabouts 477 (63.6%) or who you were with  Take something from a store without paying 317 (42.3%)  Got into a serious physical fight 513 (68.4%)  Hurt someone badly enough to need 290 (38.7%) bandages or doctor’s/nurse’s care  Run away from home 332 (44.3%)

Delinquency Questions Behavior over past yr. Response  Drive a car without the owner’s 122 (16.3%) permission  Steal something worth more than $50 73 (9.7%)  Go into a house or building to steal 90 (12%) something  Use/threaten use of a weapon to get some 81 (10.9%) from someone else  Sell marijuana or other drugs 170 (22.7%)  Steal something worth less than $ (38.5%)  Participate in a fight involving a group of 266 (35.4%) your friends against another group  Were loud, rowdy, or unruly in a public place 366 (48.8%)

Victimization - Past 12 Mos. 28.2% of youth have had a knife or gun pulled on them. 3.5% of youth have been shot 15% of youth have been stabbed 68.5% have been in physical fight 32.1% have been jumped

Perpetrator - Past 12 Mos. 13.1% of youth have pulled a gun or knife on someone 5.7% shot or stabbed someone 5.8% of youth carried a weapon

Optimism About Future Very Optimistic437 (58.2%) Fairly Optimistic247 (32.9%) Not Too Optimistic31 (4.1%) Not At All Optimistic30 (4.0%) Don’t Know6 (.8%)