Each year, more than 20,000 youth age out of the foster care system. While they are expected to be independent immediately upon reaching adulthood, economic insecurity, lack of social support, and homelessness threaten their stability. Past experiences of physical or sexual abuse, separation anxiety, and reasonable distrust of others make the journey to adulthood even more difficult.
Gender influences one’s entry into foster care. According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), males are more likely to be removed due to physical abuse and behavioral problems. At the same time, females are more likely to report sexual abuse and caretaker inability. Maltreated youth are over-represented in juvenile justice systems, substance abuse, and early parenthood, and different maltreatment experiences significantly affect various facets of an individual’s life trajectory. For example, family conflict results in greater anxiety for girls compared to boys, and boys in foster care tend to have more violent and aggressive behavior because of early traumatic experiences compared to girls.
Systemic support does exist. In 1985, Congress created the first federal Independent Living Initiative, providing states with Title IV-E funding to assist young adults leaving foster care. In 1999, the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program allowed states greater discretion to design the services offered to youth. Some spend most of the money on housing and education programs, others focus on case-by-case service delivery.
The distinct challenges faced by former foster boys and girls, however, are often overlooked by policymakers and those implementing policy. Interventions and model programs tailored to the specific needs of boys and girls are needed.
Post-Exit Outcomes
The Chafee programs require the Administration for Children and Families to collect youth data to assess states’ performance in utilizing the grant. The National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) was established to serve this purpose. By linking AFCARS with NYTD, we can see the outcomes of the youths aging out of foster care. It is worth noting that the datasets rely on a binary model of sex, which limits the analysis by not capturing the unique experiences and challenges of trans and gender-diverse youth. This limitation in the data calls for more inclusive collection methods.
Financial self-sufficiency: Females start working earlier than males in the foster care system. Of the age-17 cohort, 20% of females are either full-time or part-time employed compared to 16% of their male counterparts. By the time they transition to age 21, the employment rates for females and males converge (about 55% for both). However, there are notable disparities in earnings in some states. In Minnesota, females earn 38% less than males by age 24, even though girls are 71% more likely to be employed. This gender disparity in employment patterns extends beyond foster youth and reflects broader social issues. Females transitioning out of the foster care system face additional challenges in achieving financial stability and security.
Educational attainment: Gender plays a significant role in educational paths. On average, females achieve higher education level compared to males. Among the 21-year-old participants who completed the NYTD survey, 33% of females are currently attending an education program, compared to 22% of males. Females are 4% more likely than males to have completed high school or earned a GED. Higher levels of education often correlate with better employment opportunities, higher income, and greater stability in adulthood.
High-Risk Behaviors: Engagement in high-risk behaviors varies by gender, with different consequences for males and females. For instance, among the age-21 cohort, 23% of males reported having been incarcerated, compared to 10% of females. The impact of incarceration can perpetuate disadvantages in employability, housing stability, and overall social integration. Conversely, 29% of females and 13% of males reported having children by 21. The higher prevalence of early parenthood among females suggest additional challenges such as higher financial needs, responsibilities of parenting, and limited educational opportunities. These gender-specific high-risk behaviors underscore the need for tailored interventions.
Access to Health Insurance: According to Title IV-E, all youths in foster care are eligible to receive Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act in 2014 allowed for some youths to be covered by Medicaid till age 26. However, many foster youths are unaware of these public services. According to the NYTD, 9% of males and 4% of females of the age-21 cohort reported that they “do not know [about] Medicaid.” Eligibility does not mean automatic enrollment, and youth need support accessing health care.
Association between Early Experiences and Life Outcomes
I conducted statistical regression analyses to explore the relationship between early experiences and outcomes, categorized into financial stability, homelessness, educational attainment, social connections, high-risk behaviors, and health insurance access. OLS regressions were conducted to explore the associations. This method clarifies whether early experiences can predict later in life outcomes. I have also considered other factors including race, Hispanic origin, age of the individual at the first removal, and location (urban/rural).
Table 1 below shows the factors associated with the foster youth’s outcomes. The positive and negative signs indicate positive and negative associations. Asterisks indicate the level of significance, with additional asterisks indicating more significant associations. This analysis allows us to determine gender differences in foster youths’ experiences and the kinds of interventions that might improve outcomes.
Table 1
| physical abuse | sex abuse | neglect | substance abuse – parent[1] | substance abuse – child[2] | child-related issues[3] | family-related issues[4] | abandon issue[5] | inadequate housing | ||
| Financial Stability | male | -0.0297* | -0.0238 | -0.0433*** | 0.0182 | -0.0759*** | -0.0985*** | 0.0147 | -0.0386** | 0.0235 |
| female | -0.0289* | -0.0302* | -0.00776 | -0.0388** | -0.00789 | -0.0819*** | 0.0196 | -0.0494*** | -0.0247 | |
| Homelessness | male | 0.0135 | -0.0443 | -0.00655 | -0.0245 | 0.0379 | 0.0433** | 0.0118 | 0.0681*** | -0.00630 |
| female | 0.0330 | -0.0264 | -0.0130 | 0.00132 | 0.0120 | 0.0652*** | 0.0151 | 0.0796*** | -0.0165 | |
| High School Completion | male | 0.0314 | 0.0680 | -0.00116 | 0.0113 | -0.0289 | -0.0582*** | 0.0238 | -0.0681** | 0.00399 |
| female | 0.0320 | -0.0118 | -0.0138 | -0.0201 | -0.0953** | -0.0856*** | 0.00190 | -0.0406 | -0.0179 | |
| Social Connection | male | -0.0274 | -0.0105 | -0.0548*** | -0.0287* | -0.101*** | -0.0962*** | 0.0436*** | -0.0558*** | 0.0287 |
| female | -0.0635*** | -0.0424** | -0.0276** | -0.0412** | -0.0268 | -0.0787*** | 0.0186 | -0.0780*** | -0.0224 | |
| High-risk Behaviors | male | 0.0149 | 0.00469 | 0.0391*** | 0.00217 | 0.00676 | -0.0119 | 0.00435 | -0.0169 | -0.00598 |
| female | 0.0209 | 0.0428*** | 0.0312*** | 0.0243* | -0.0766*** | -0.0260** | 0.00719 | -0.00318 | -0.0128 | |
| Health Insurance Access | male | -0.0224 | -0.0121 | -0.0261** | -0.0498*** | -0.104*** | -0.0958*** | 0.0553*** | -0.0633*** | 0.0131 |
| female | -0.0614*** | -0.0530*** | -0.0276** | -0.0557*** | -0.0470 | -0.0786*** | 0.0360*** | -0.0752*** | -0.0333 | |
| The table reports results for the correlation between the foster youth outcomes and their early experience. *, **, and *** denote two-tailed significance tests at the 90%, 95%, and 99% levels, respectively. Bolded cells are the significant associations that only exist in one gender, indicating the different patterns of needs by gender. | ||||||||||
[1] alcohol or drug abuse by parents
[2] alcohol or drug abuse by child
[3] child disability or child behavior problem
[4] parent death or incarceration, or caretaker inability cope
[5] abandonment, or relinquishment
Key Findings
· Financial stability: Neglect and child substance abuse have a more pronounced influence on the financial stability of males, while sexual abuse and parental substance abuse significantly affect females.
· Educational attainment: Abandonment significantly reduces the likelihood of high school completion for males, while substance abuse plays a bigger and more significant role for females.
· Social connections: Physical and sexual abuse significantly hinder the ability of females to build supportive relationships with adults. Such association is not observed in males.
· High-risk behaviors: Neglected males are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, whereas the factors for females are more complex, including sexual and substance abuse.
· Health insurance access: Child substance abuse for males, as well as physical and sexual abuse for females, significantly decreases the probability of accessing health insurance.
Policy Recommendations
Understanding the association between early experience and outcomes can be concerning and inspiring at the same time. On the one hand, early negative experiences can have lasting effects, hindering youths’ successful transition to adulthood. On the other hand, these findings indicate where targeted, deliberate interventions may improve outcomes for foster youths transitioning to adulthood.
Policymakers and providers can improve outcomes for foster youths by:
· Supporting comprehensive sex education, which is not the national standard in public schools. The right kinds of sex education programs, when made available to foster youth, can empower foster youth with accurate information, reduce the risk of sexual abuse and high-risk behaviors, and promote healthier relationships.
· Create, fund, and enroll foster youth in gender-sensitive health programs that offer trauma-informed care and counseling. While foster females often achieve higher educational levels, they also struggle with substance abuse and early parenthood. Wraparound programs addressing sexual health, trauma recovery, and parenting skills are needed.
· Assist foster youth in accessing health care, including mental health care. While Medicaid extension is beneficial, it does not specifically address the higher need for mental health services among females or the lack of awareness among males about their eligibility for services. Greater outreach through youth-oriented channels is needed.
Foster youths negotiate many challenges in their transition to adulthood, particularly as they lose many of the supports provided by the foster care system. And yet, their needs and challenges differ along gendered lines. By implementing targeted, gender-informed policies and support systems, we can better support foster youths in their journey to becoming independent adults, thereby improving their quality of life.
