The Well-Being of
Arizona’s Young Adults from
Foster Care
Tonia Stott, PhD
Children’s Caucus Meeting
August 4, 2009
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by:





A NIDA R36 (Dissertation) Grant (5R36DA023280-02)
A SSWR Doctoral Fellows Award (2007)
The technical analysts at DCYF were very helpful in pulling the
administrative data.
Collaboration was conducted with the CPS Statewide IL Coordinator.
Assistance and mentoring was received from the committee
members: Dr. Karen Gerdes, Dr. Mary Gillmore, and Dr. Nora
Gustavsson.
The researcher is very thankful to the young adults who
invested their time and energy by participating in the
interview.
Study Selection
The Arizona Division of Children, Youth, &
Families (DCYF) supplied the names and last
known contact information for Young Adults
(YAs) who turned 18 years old while in the legal
custody of DCYF between 7/1/04 and 6/30/08.
 Recruitment packets were mailed and offered
the YAs a $10 gift card for enrolling or declining
participation and a $45 gift card for participating
in the interview.

Recruitment

2045 Young Adults (YAs) were identified over
the course of the study who were under the age
of 21 at the time the recruitment packet was
mailed.
– 10.5% did not have a valid mailing address

1859 recruitment packets were mailed
– 32% were retuned as undeliverable


10 returned a decline form
183 YAs enrolled in the study
– 2 later withdrew
– 48 lost contact with the researcher
Interview Participants

123 YAs participated in the interview
– 5 were excluded from the study because they
did not meet selection criteria or could not be
competently interviewed
– 4 were not listed on the DCYF files has having
turned 18 while in the legal custody of CPS

114 participants were included in the
study analysis
Demographics

Age
–
–
–
–


–
–
–
–
–
54% age 18
32% age 19
8% age 20
6% age 21
Gender
– 73% female
– 22% male
Race

9% Black
37% Hispanic (White)
2% Native American
48% White (non-Hispanic)
4% More than one
Sexual Orientation
– 82% straight
– 13% bi-sexual
– 5% lesbian/gay
Foster Care Stability

Lifetime number of placements
– Mean = 8.02
– Range = 1 - 38

Placements since last entry
– Mean = 7.29
– Range = 1 – 38

Average yearly change rate for placements since
last entry
– Mean = .49 (changed placements, on average, every
half a year or every 6 months)
*All figures exclude post 18 placements
Lifetime Placements Before Age 18
21%
19%
17.5%
15%
11%
8%
8%
Foster Care Experiences
Mean age at first entry was 14.27
 22% experienced at least one re-entry
 Mean age at last entry was 15.14
 32% ran away while in foster care at
least once
 24.5% were placed in detention or
corrections while in foster care at least
once

Age at Last Entry
27%
22%
11%
10%
6%
2%
21%
Young Adult Outcomes

The participants in this study are not completely
representative of the population of young adults who
aged out between 7/1/05 & 6/30/08.
– Study participants’ mean number of placements was 8, while the
mean number of placements for the population was 10.
– 45% of the study participants were receiving subsidy on the day
they were interviewed while 29% of the population were on a
Voluntary 18 + agreement on 10/1/07.


The study participants’ outcomes are likely a little
skewed toward more positive well-being.
The most vulnerable in this population may not be
represented in this study.
Education
Educational Attainment
 35% had not received
their GED or HS
Diploma
 19% had a GED
 47% had a High
School Diploma
Educational Enrollment
 51% were attending
school
 49% were not in
school
Employment & Income

Employment
– 46% were working
– 54% were not working

Income of those working
– 61% earned $1000/month or less (this is
about at the poverty threshold for a single
person)
– 35% earned between $1001 & $2000/month
– 4% earned $2001 or more a month
Housing






21% live alone
14% live with
friends/roommates
12% live with extended
family
11% live with
former/current foster
parents
6% live at a transitional
program
2% live with a parent




21% live with a
significant other
7% live with sig other
and his/her family
2% live with sig other
and his/her own family
5% are homeless
Homelessness
Homeless
 74% had not been homeless
 26% had been homeless since turning 18
Longest Episode of Homelessness
 30% up to two months
 13% two to six months
 20% seven months or more
Health Insurance

86% have health insurance
– 96% had public insurance (YATI/ AHCCCS)
– 4% had private insurance

14% do not have health insurance
Independent Living Subsidy
45% were receiving
subsidy
 55% were not

– 16% had received
subsidy in the past,
but were no longer
receiving it.

Reason for not being
on subsidy
– 53% were denied
– 15% didn’t want to be
involved with CPS
– 10% were not aware
of it
– 10% had turned 21
– 7% were waiting for it
– 3% were still in IV-E
paid placements
Emotional & Social Well-Being

Depression scale mean score = 15.26
– Norm mean scores = 8.7

Self-esteem scale mean score = 36.58
– Norm mean score = 37.27

Network Orientation mean score = 45.62
– Norm mean score = 58.06

Feelings of Connectedness in Last Placement
before 18
– 46% felt connected most of the time or more
– 64% felt connected some of the time or less
Substance Use

Current Use
– 25% had used substances or been intoxicated
in the past 30 days

Recent Use
– 32% had used substances or been intoxicated
once a month or more in the past 5 months

Past Abuse
– 35% used substances in the past, (more than
5 months ago) twice a week or more
Recent Substance Use Scale
Didn’t use
68%
Used once a month
8%
Used 2-3 times a month 3%
Used once a week
3%
Used 2-3 times a week
4%
Used about every day
14%
Risky Sexual Behaviors
0 (no sexual partners)
32%
1 (least risky)
16%
2
5%
3
11%
4
5%
5 (most risky)
31%
Takes into account number of sexual partners,
condom use, and use of birth control other than
condoms over the past 3 months.
Pregnancies
Females
 46% had never been pregnant
 54% had ever been pregnant
 18% were currently pregnant
Males
 77% had not been responsible for a pregnancy
 23% had ever been responsible for a pregnancy
AZ Outcomes in Comparison to
Other Outcome Studies





Entered care at older
ages
Moved more frequently
Were less likely to have a
HS Diploma
Were less likely to use
contraceptives
Were more likely to be
pregnant


Were more likely to have
health insurance
Were less likely to be
currently using
substances
Effect of Placement Stability
on Outcomes

Regression analysis was used and controlled for
traumas often associated with poor young adult
outcomes:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
parental substance abuse
parental domestic violence
parental poverty
parental incarceration
neglected
physically abused
sexually abused
intimate partner violence before the age of 18
Effect of Placement Stability on
Self-Sufficiency Outcomes
As the number of placements increased,
educational attainment decreased
(b=-.51, p<.05)
 As the number of placements increased,
the likelihood being employed in young
adulthood decreased (log odd = -.09,
p<.05)

*While controlling for the effect of the traumas associated with poor outcomes.
Effect of Placement Stability
on Emotional and Social Well-Being Outcomes
As the number of placements increased, the
depression score increased (b=.31, p<.05)
 As the number of placements increased network
orientation decreased (b=.26, p<.05)
 As the number of placements increased, feelings
of connectedness in the last placement before
turning 18 decreased (b=-.75, p<.01)

*While controlling for the traumas associated with poor young adult outcomes.
Effect of Placement Stability
on Risk Behaviors
As the number of placements increased,
recent substance use frequency increased
(b=.06, p<.05)
 As the number of placements increased,
risky sexual behaviors increased (b=.06,
p<.1)

*While controlling for the traumas associated with poor young adult outcomes.
Take Away Points



Placement instability may be diminishing youths’
capacities to develop the emotional and social
competencies necessary for young adult self-sufficiency
and well-being.
Older adolescents, especially those who age out, move 4
times more often than is recommended in the federal
Child and Family Services Review standards.
AZ’s young adults who age out, enter care at older ages
– AZ may be doing a better job at achieving permanency for
younger children (they’re not aging out)
– AZ may be taking in more older adolescents (10% of the
participants were 17.5 or older at their first entry into care)
Take Away Points

Only 30% of AZ’s Young Adults who aged out were
receiving CPS case management services (on an 18+
Voluntary)
– This percentage does not include those receiving ETV,
YATI, or TILP services only.



This 30% are likely the higher functioning young adults,
as the most vulnerable are often excluded from 18+
services due to eligibility restrictions for IL Subsidy.
AZ surpasses its Chafee funding on these 30%.
AZ will need to incorporate the provision of the Fostering
Connections Act which would allow states to receive IV-E
reimbursement for placements for young adults up to 21
years old in order to serve more of its young adult
population.
Take Away Points


This population is very hard to find and is quite
transitory.
For AZ to fulfill the data collection mandate now required
for the National Youth in Transition Database, it will
need to:
– Develop positive relationships with youth in care before they leave so they are
willing to participate in the young adult surveys.
– Before youth leave care, ask them about the people in their lives who would
always know where they were and record this information.
– Allocate funding for incentives for the young adults to participate in the surveys.
– Develop relationships with YATI and other state programs to allow for the
disclosure of contact information pertaining to this population.
– Employ researchers not necessarily affiliated with CPS to conduct the surveys,
engage the young adults in participating, and maintain the contact information.
The Road to Success…
Research tells us that young adults from
foster care who succeed:




Had opportunities and were supported in their
efforts to develop long-term connections with
positive adults.
Obtained a high school diploma and are supported
in obtaining post-secondary degrees/certificate s.
Have adequate safety nets, resources, and supports.
Remain in care until age 21.
Placing Our Young Adults on
that Road
Areas of Improvement
 Increase opportunities for
youth to engage in
connected relationships.
 Increase High School
Graduation Rates.
Action Steps
 Minimize placement
instability
– Provide more resources to
homes to meet youths’
mental/behavioral health
needs.
– Allow youth to be
empowered participators in
their placement planning.
Placing Our Young Adults on
that Road
Areas of Improvement
 Increase safety nets,
resources, and supports
for young adults from
foster care.
 Increase the number of
young adults remaining in
care until age 21.
Action Steps
 Maximize the state’s
ability to serve this
population (we are
currently only serving
about 30%)
– Provide for more young
adults to remain in care
until age 21.
– Allow more young adults to
to remain in care until 21
even if they make mistakes.
Thank You

For more information, contact Tonia
Tonia Stott, PhD
School of Social Work
Arizona State University
602-496-0077
tonia.stott@asu.edu