Foster Care
Outcomes for foster youth–from education to housing to economic independence–are explored in Chapin Hall’s unrivaled body of research on those who have been in the foster care system.
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Foster Care
Recent Content
Project
Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care
Chapin Hall works with Chicago's Lawrence Hall to ensure quality independent living programming for LGBTQI+ youth who are aging out of foster care.
March 6, 2025
Report
Supportive Housing Helps Homeless Families Leave Child Welfare System
Researchers evaluated Bringing Families Home, a supportive housing program for child welfare system involved families.
2025
Project
Assessing Guaranteed Income Program for Young Adults Who Aged Out of Foster Care in San Francisco
Experts at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago will conduct a local evaluation of Foundations for Future, the San Francisco Human Services Agency’s...
December 14, 2023
Report
Evaluation Yields Mixed Results Regarding LifeSet’s Impact on Young People in Extended Foster Care
This report summarizes findings from Phase II of an evaluation of LifeSet, which helps young people in foster care successfully transition to adulthood.
2023
Project
Helping Youth in Foster Care Make Informed Sexual Health Decisions
The 130 youth from across Texas who participated in THRIVE reported acquiring new knowledge, learning how to advocate for their sexual health needs, and...
October 10, 2023
News
Chapin Hall sub-recipient of multi-million-dollar grant to assess sexual health intervention in foster care systems
Amy Dworsky will lead an independent evaluation of THRIVE, a sexual health intervention that will be implemented in congregate settings in three states...
September 26, 2023
Report
Kinship Homes Need More Resources, Fewer Obstacles
This brief summarizes obstacles faced by kinship foster families that reduce stability for the children moved into their homes.
2023
Project
Building Evidence on New York City’s Efforts to Provide Comprehensive Supports for Youth in Foster Care
This project examines whether New York City's Fair Futures Program is meeting its goals.
August 2, 2023
Research
Evaluation of Fair Futures Shows a Well-Developed but Still Emerging Model for Working with Young People in Foster Care
This report details the findings from an 18-month study of the implementation of the Fair Futures initiative.Â
2022
Project
Home Visiting in the Family First Context
This brief is an outgrowth of the 2022 National Home Visiting Summit hosted by Start Early.
June 30, 2023
Project
Bringing Kinship Care Out of the Shadows
This project compiled key definitions and evidence to better clarify kinship practices. Policy staff developed a list of recommendations for those implementing...
May 31, 2023
Report
Youth Participants Give High Marks to LifeSet Program in Illinois
This brief examines the ways LifeSet is and is not supporting the transition from foster care to adulthood for 13 young people.
2023
Research Collection
Alameda County’s Youth Transitions Partnership: Lessons from a Formative Evaluation of a Program for Transition-Age Youth in Care
Chapin Hall conducted a formative evaluation of YTP and released several reports and briefs.
2022
Research
Demonstration Project to Improve Outcomes for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care Yields Mixed Results
Urban Institute and Chapin Hall evaluated the FUP-FSS Demonstration's implementation and short-term effectiveness in helping youth aging out of foster care move...
2021
Report
Risk Reduction Training for Youth in Care Improves Parenting Skills
This report evaluates the effectiveness of DCFS risk reduction training for pregnant and parenting youth in care.
2020
Report
LifeSet Providers Identify Model Strengths and Implementation Challenges
This brief summarizes findings from Phase I of an evaluation of LifeSet, an intensive, evidence-based, youth-centered, and service-focused model developed by...
2022
Report
Greater Investments Needed to Support College Students with Foster Care Backgrounds
This memo takes a closer look at the types of colleges that foster youth enroll in.
2022
Report
Foster Youth Not Receiving Needed Support to Succeed at Community College
This mixed methods study was conducted to determine the college enrollment and graduation rates among young people in foster care in Illinois and to learn more...
2022
Research Collection
Supporting Transition-Age Youth through the Federal Chafee Program
This research collection features evaluations of programs funded by the Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood.
November 4, 2021
Report
Majority of CalYOUTH Participants Enrolled in College, with 10% Attaining Degree by Age 23
This memo provides an early look at factors that promote or stymie college degree completion by around age 23 of youths transitioning to adulthood from the...
2021
Report
Impacts of Extended Care on Youth Outcomes Two Years after Foster Care Has Ended
This report builds on prior findings to examine the impact of extended foster care in California on youth outcomes at age 23.
2021
Report
Final Wave of CalYOUTH Study Surveys Former Foster Youth at Age 23
This report presents findings from an evaluation of the impact of the California Fostering Connections to Success Act on outcomes during foster youth's...
2020
Report
Nearly One-Third of Foster Youth in California Not Involved with Creating Transitional Independent Living Plan
This memo investigates two aspects of foster youths’ transition planning: their roles in their transitional independent living plan development and their level...
2020
Report
Foster Youth Would Benefit from Emphasis on Prevention and Treatment to Reduce Justice System Involvement
This memo examines CalYOUTH participants’ justice system involvement within two timeframes: (1) involvement before their age-17 interview and (2) involvement...
2020
Report
Challenges in Rigorously Evaluating College Success Programs for Students Who Experienced Foster Care
This paper describes a formative evaluation of one college success program to assess its readiness for future rigorous evaluation.
2020
Report
Systemic Approaches to Addressing Child and Family Trauma are Key to Fully Leveraging Family First
This brief explains how trauma-informed practices support Family First implementation and recommends measures that are consistent with an established framework...
2020
Report
Intercept Program Evaluation Shows Reductions in Likelihood of Out-of-home Placement
This report describes Intercept, the Center for State Child Welfare Data’s evaluation of the program, and the extent to which the findings demonstrate an impact...
2020
Research
Foster Youths’ Capacity To Live Independently Should Drive Extended Foster Care Placement
This memo examines youths’ predominant placement type between ages 18 and 21. It compares the characteristics of youth who resided predominantly in Supervised...
2020
Report
Researchers Find Association between Participation in Extended Foster Care and Reduced Risk of Homelessness
This memo examines whether participating in extended foster care decreases the odds of experiencing homelessness among foster youth by age 21.
2020
Report
Creating Effective Services Depends on Engaging Youth in Care
A better understanding of the relationships between the service context of extended foster care, youths’ satisfaction with the services they receive, and the...
2019
Report
Systemic Challenges at Illinois DCFS Contribute to Oversight Lapses in Child Fatality Cases
This Review identifies systemic factors that contributed to child deaths and critical incidents among children whose families received Intact Family Services...
2019
Report
California Foster Youth in Extended Care Have Better Postsecondary Education Outcomes
This memo evaluates the impact of extended foster care on three postsecondary education outcomes. Â
2019
Report
Improvements in Service System Collaboration Lead to Youth Spending More Time in Extended Foster Care
This memo examines the relationship between several county-level factors and youths’ extended foster care participation among a sample of older adolescents in...
2019
Report
Foster Youth, Caseworkers Diverge in Views of Youths’ Preparedness for College
This memo adds to the growing literature on the transition to college for young people in foster care, focusing specifically on issues of preparedness to enter...
2019
Report
Improved Outcomes at Age 21 for Youth in Extended Foster Care
This report builds on prior findings from the CalYOUTH project and examines outcomes at age 21 from state administrative data and from the third interview wave...
2018
Report
Despite Implementation of Extended Foster Care in California, Permanency Rates Declined
An increasing number of states, including California, have extended foster care to age 21. However, there has been some concern that providing extended care may...
2018
Report
Many California Foster Youth Have Inadequate Social Support and Need More Support From Adults
This memo investigates the types and sources of social support for young people in extended foster care.
2018
Report
Wave 3 of CalYOUTH Study Surveys Former Foster Youth at Age 21
This study provides the most comprehensive view to date of young people approaching the transition to adulthood from foster care in the wake of the federal...
2018
Report
Additional Time Spent in Foster Care Improves Education Outcomes
This brief provides an early look at the relationship between extended foster care and selected outcomes for youth transitioning to adulthood from care in...
2017
Report
Developmental Perspective Important when Considering Placement Options
This report highlights the importance of understanding placement outcomes from a developmental perspective and how outcomes differ for young people depending on...
2017
Report
Majority of California Youth in Foster Care Believe Extended Care Helps Them Reach Life Goals
This study focuses on the state of California, an early adopter of the new policy that also has the largest foster care population in the U.S. It addresses...
2016
Report
Foster Youth Motivated to Stay in Care Beyond Age 18 but Desire More Freedom
This report examines youth and caseworker attitudes about and knowledge of extended foster care in California.
2015
Report
Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders Suggests Youth Reaching Age of Majority in Foster Care Need Special Attention
This report examines mental health and substance use problems of foster youth at age 17, as well as related services provided to the participants.
2015
Report
Use of Research Evidence Leads to Faster Permanency for Youth in Foster Care
Research evidence is information that has been generated according to scientific principles and practices. The term research evidence use – or REU – refers to...
2015
Report
Designing Education Programs to Meet the Needs of Young Adults in Care
The Administration for Children and Families contracted with the Urban Institute and Chapin Hall to plan for the next generation of evaluation activities funded...
2014
Report
Caregivers and Child Welfare Case Workers Find Benefits from Pregnancy Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion Training
Chapin Hall conducted a formative evaluation of a training on pregnancy prevention and sexual health promotion for foster parents, other caregivers, and child...
2014
Research
Study of Youth in California Foster Care at Age 17 Reveals Need for Ongoing Support
This study addresses whether extending foster care past age 18 in California influenced youths' outcomes during the transition to adulthood.
2014
Report
Study of California Fostering Connections Act Finds Strengths and Weaknesses in Housing Opportunities
The Fostering Connections Act provides young people with a longer period of transition, including the opportunity to learn how to manage growing autonomy and...
2014
Report
Economic Independence of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care
Young people in foster care who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) may face unique barriers to achieving economic independence. We analyzed data from...
2013
Report
Early Implementation of Extended Foster Care Requires Engagement and Patience
The most important lesson other states might learn from California’s experience with extending foster care is that it requires considerable effort, time, and...
2013
Research Collection
Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth
The Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth (Midwest Study) is a longitudinal study following a sample of young people from Iowa,...
2011
Report
Educational and Economic Benefits Found for Foster Youth in Massachusetts Outreach Program
Studies show that the transition out of foster care and into independent living can be challenging for young adults. The Massachusetts Adolescent Outreach...
2011
Report
Parenting, Behavioral Health are Barriers to Extended Foster Care for Some Young People
The Fostering Connections Act extended eligibility for federally funded foster care to young people who meet certain eligibility requirements until their 21st...
2010
Research
Extended Foster Care Delays but Does Not Prevent Homelessness
One of the challenges faced by young people aging out of foster care is finding a safe and affordable place to live. Before the Fostering Connections to Success...
2010
Report
Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Foster Care: Their Needs, Their Experiences
Youth in foster care have much higher rates of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing than their peers. To better understand the needs and experiences of...
2009
Report
Financial Benefits of Extending Foster Care Outweigh Costs to Government
This report examines the financial benefits of extending foster care to age 21.
2009
Report
Tutoring Program for Youth in Foster Care Shows Little Effect
In 1999, the John Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP) allowed states more funding and flexibility to provide support to youth transitioning from...
2008
Report
Families and Child Welfare Caseworkers Disagree about Service Needs
This report shares the findings of a comprehensive evaluation of the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare.
2008
Report
At Age 19, Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care Face Multiple Challenges
The Midwest Study was designed to learn how young people fare as they age out of foster care. This report provides a snapshot of study participants at age 19.
2005
Project
The Center for State Child Welfare Data
The Center for State Child Welfare Data–or the Data Center–supports child welfare systems in more than 30 states to make evidence-based decisions designed to...
January 1, 2018
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