Former Foster Care Youth
Information & Resources
COUN 512
Liz McCarrell, Breona Mendoza, Miranda Sulley,
Kris Tinglestad, Liiban Yusuf
Former Foster Youth
Demographics
Young adults ages 18-21 who have recently aged out of the Child Welfare
System in King County, Washington.
In 2009:
 1,569,592 children under 18 in WA state, and 11,824 children in foster
care (~.75%)
 5,585 children exited the foster care system, with an average stay of 17.2
months. 6.6% of those who exited foster care were 18 years old (369
young adults)
 4 of every 1000 kids was in the foster system in King County (.4%)
http://archive.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cwo07-10/cwo07-10.pdf
http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/bystate/Rankings.aspx?state=WA&ind=5223
Racial Disproportionality in
the Child Welfare System
King County Coalition on Racial Disproportionality
African American children are 3 times more likely, and Native American
children are 7 times more likely than Caucasian children to be involved in
referrals that are accepted for investigation.
African American and Native American children together make up:
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8 percent of the child population in King County
25 percent of the children involved in referrals accepted for investigation
33 percent of all children removed from their homes and placed in care
50 percent of the children still in out-of-home care four years after placement
http://catalystforkids.org/KingCountyReportonRacialDisproportionality.pdf
Racial Disproportionality in
the Child Welfare System
Employment Issues/Struggles
 Studies indicate that 25-50% of foster youth are typically
unemployed and those who were employed had an average
earning below the poverty level.
Henig, A. (2009) Employment aid for youth aging out of foster care: Extending one-stop career centers to
include a division for foster care youth. Family Court Review, 47 (3), 570-585.
Struggles/Issues Continued…
 40-63% of former foster
youth have not
completed high school
 Higher rates of
homelessness, arrests, &
incarceration than other
youth of comparable age
 Most cannot move back
home if they can’t find
employment
Hill, K., Lightfoot, E., & Kimball, E. (2011) Foster care transition services for youth with disabilities. Child Welfare,
89 (6), 63-81.
Struggles/Issues Continued…
 Employment programs currently available to foster youth are
not successful in assisting them to become self-sufficient







Reach a limited number of youth
Do not offer assistance to youth currently in care
Focused on immediate employment rather than long-term
Increasingly competitive job market
Transportation limitations
Unprepared to meet the challenges that await them after foster care
High number of youth have a disability diagnosis
Henig, A. (2009) Employment aid for youth aging out of foster care: Extending one-stop career centers to
include a division for foster care youth. Family Court Review, 47 (3), 570-585.
Where We Might Work with
Former Foster Youth
 Transitional Living Programs (TL)
 The YMCA is the sole provider of state-contracted independent living services for foster
youth/former foster youth in King County, and hosts the region's only transition center
(YMCA Center for Young Adults) targeting foster and former foster youth.
http://www.ymcayas.org/what-were-about/history.aspx
 Justice System
 31-42% of former foster youth have been arrested, 18-26% have been incarcerated.
 Schools/Colleges
 30-80% of children and youth in foster care have a disability diagnosis
 Difficult to accurately estimate the number of youth with disabilities aging out of care in the US
because of inconsistencies in administrative child welfare data regarding disabilities.
 Homeless Youth
 12-30% of former foster youth struggle with homelessness
Best Practice Approaches
Limited Research
Support Based
approach
(Mentor)
Social Justice
Model
Counseling Theories / Therapies
 Social Cognitive Theory: Work on building up self efficacy and
outcome expectations so that they can open up more options for
themselves and have the confidence to explore different paths.
 Culturally Appropriate Counseling Theory: Be aware of the cultural
factors that may influence their experiences/options and of the
assumptions, biases and beliefs that you bring based on your unique
cultural lens
 Narrative Therapy: Give them the opportunity to tell their story and
have a sense of ownership over it, as many foster youth feel they
have little ownership or agency in their lives.
Counseling Theories / Therapies
 Reality Therapy: Reality Therapy is the counseling method
that we use to help individuals to focus on the future rather
than the past and make the choices that will result in more
responsible behavior and more satisfying lives.
 Motivational Interviewing: Directive, person centered
counseling style that aims to help people explore and
resolve their ambivalence about behavior change
 Systems Theory: serves to work with the many systems that
surround the foster youth and work in their lives
Assessments & Interventions
 Diagnostic Interviews
 PTSD
 Major Depression
 SASSI (Substance Abuse Subtle
Screening Inventory)
 Observation & Self Report
 Talk Therapy
 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Resources for Those Working With
Former Foster Youth
 Involve young people as partners in all aspects of planning and
decision making
 Assist young people in pursuing education and employment,
accessing physical and mental health care, and securing safe and
stable housing;
 Continue permanency planning that is youth-directed; support
young people in building vital social capital;
 Fully engage young people in choosing healthy and supported
living options for themselves, including continued placement in a
family-based setting and living on their own
Resources For Those Working
With Former Foster Youth
 Need for collaboration
 Often foster youth work with a
number of people (case workers,
social workers, foster parents,
educators, counselors, parole
officers, advocates etc…)
 TL Programs
 Free Online Foster Parent
training videos (DSHS)
Resources for Former
Foster Youth
 “young adults ages 18-24 [are] generally undercounted and under-represented when solutions
are envisioned. Relatively few resources are
being directed to … them”
-from “A growing problem: Fresh out of foster care and
homeless” by Carol Smith, 2010
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/A-growing-problem-Fresh-out-of-foster-care-and-886284.php
Resources for Former
Foster Youth
 EMOTIONAL SUPPORT/MENTAL HEALTH:
 YMCA Foster & Kinship Teen Link
 A peer to peer teen help line, providing emotional support, education and resources to
youth ages 13-21.
 The Family Services and Mental Health Permanency Program
(Foster Care)
 Offers state-referred youth and their families wrap-around services including mental
health counseling, youth assessment services and in-home family preservation and
reunification services.
 Family Group Decision Making (FGDM)
 Recognizes the importance of involving family groups in decision making about children
who need protection or care, and it can be initiated by child welfare agencies whenever a
critical decision about a child is required.
Resources For Former
Foster Youth
 HOUSING:
 Children Services Board Agency
 Provides rental assistance for up to five years, while
they complete a post secondary education or
training program.
 YMCA of Seattle (Transitional Living
Program)
 Maintains more than 30 of King County’s housing
for young adults, offering a continuum that
includes 5 shared homes, 20 downtown studio
apartments, and scattered site apartments
 Hosts emergency overnight shelters for
homeless teens in Bellevue, & meals showers
services for homeless youth in the U district
 Through the TL Program, youth can access
Chaffee Funds (for startup rental costs/furniture
etc…)
 ROOTS, Orion Center, The Landing,
Healthy Start – short term living
“one in five of
those who age
out will be
homeless within
two years of
leaving foster
care” – Carol
Smith
Resources for Former
Foster Youth
 Employment
 Workforce Investment Act
Youth Program
 Worksource
 Locations in King
County/Online Access
 3rd Ave 2nd Floor, Seattle, WA 98121
 College Way N., OCE&E Bldg., Seattle, WA
98103
 Rainier Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98144
 www.independence.wa.gov
 Transitional Living Programs
Resources for Former
Foster Youth
 EDUCATION/COLLEGE:
 The College Success Foundation: works to improve the educational attainment of
Washington State foster youth by helping them develop their academic skills and plans
for success.
 Foster Care to College Mentoring Program is a mentoring program where foster youth
are paired with an adult who serves as their stable support system and helps them
access resources for educational purposes, i.e. financial aid assistance, enrollment and
registration processes.
 The Chafee Education and Training Vouchers Program allots eligible youth up to
$5,000 annually that may be used for post secondary education related expenses.
 Almost all former foster youth are eligible for the Pell Grant to attend college.
 BASIC NEEDS:
 Crisis Clinic: Offers referrals for mental health, substance abuse and basic needs.
 Department of Human Services: Provides funding and resources to support basic
needs.
Advocacy & Education
 Fostering Connections
http://www.fosteringconnections.org/resources/topic_tar?id=0005
 Here you will find tools, analyses and research related specifically to the Older Youth
provisions of the new Fostering Connections law.
 Mocking Bird Society- http://www.mockingbirdsociety.org/
 Provides trainings and advocacy materials for both providers and foster youth.
 Casey Family Programs- http://www.casey.org/Resources/
 Provides resources, trainings, advocacy and direct services to foster youth and
professionals.
 FosterClub for adults –
 This is a site for adults involved in the foster care system: those who care for
children and caseworkers. Visitors to the site will find information and inspiration on
how to work and communicate with foster youth.
 Foster Family-Based Treatment Association http://www.ffta.org/publications/ebpguidefinalweb.pdf
 Evidence based techniques and treatments for foster care youth.
References
http://archive.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cwo07-10/cwo07-10.pdf
http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/bystate/Rankings.aspx?state=WA&ind=52
23
http://catalystforkids.org/KingCountyReportonRacialDisproportionality.pdf
Henig, A. (2009) Employment aid for youth aging out of foster care: Extending
one-stop career centers to include a division for foster care youth. Family Court
Review, 47 (3), 570-585.
Hill, K., Lightfoot, E., & Kimball, E. (2011) Foster care transition services for
youth with disabilities. Child Welfare, 89 (6), 63-81.
www.independence.wa.gov
http://www.mockingbirdsociety.org/
http://www.fosteringconnections.org/resources/topic_tar?id=0005
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/A-growing-problem-Fresh-out-of-fostercare-and-886284.php