Education and Foster Youth

For children and youth in foster care, education has the potential to be a positive counterweight to abuse, neglect, separation, impermanence, and instability. Studies have shown that education is a significant factor in determining the success of youth as they exit the foster care system and beyond.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• 58 percent of youth in foster care had earned a high school diploma by age 19. (Midwest study)
• Children and youth in out-of-home care experience an average of one or two placement changes per year.
• Students in foster care score 16 to 20 percentile points below others in statewide standardized tests (Washington state study).
• Only about 3 percent obtained a bachelor's degree or higher by ages 23 and 24.

Please see the PDF document for important notes and sources. Information provided by the National Foster Care Month Partnership.

Additional resources on the education of foster youth include:

• The National Legal Center on Foster Care and Education
• The National Workgroup on Foster Care and Education

MEMBER PROJECT PROFILES

Helping Teens Help Themselves

The Healthy Teen Network recently released, “Helping Teens Help Themselves." Pregnant and parenting teens exiting foster care face the challenge of trying to raise a child, often without a network. Access to supportive housing programs is one way to provide shelter and the social supports necessary for successful transitions. Healthy Teen Network’s blueprint represents a multi-year, multidisciplinary approach to increase supportive housing options for pregnant and parenting teens exiting foster care.