Youth and Caseworker Perspectives on Older Adolescents in California Foster Care: Youths' Education Status and Services. Chapin Hall Discussion Paper

This paper examines the educational status of and services available to older adolescents in foster care in California, both from the viewpoint of the young people themselves and from the viewpoint of caseworkers who work with foster youth. Not only does California have the largest state foster care population in the nation, it also is one of the early adopters of the Fostering Connections law. Unlike most of the youth included in previous studies, these youth are subject to the new era of extended foster care. Three specific areas are examined in the paper: the educational history and status of older adolescents in care, the perception of how ready these youth are to pursue their educational goals, and the availability and helpfulness of education-related services. This is one of the first analyses that simultaneously considers these issues from the perspective of the youth and the child welfare professionals who oversee their care. Since California is a geographically diverse state, the authors examine whether urbanicity affects the educational experiences of youth and the educational systems and resources at their disposal. Counties are grouped into three categories: rural/mostly rural, urban, and large urban.