Findings from the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study (CalYOUTH): Conditions of Youth at Age 19--Los Angeles County Report

The current "CalYOUTH Wave 2 Los Angeles County Report" presents findings from the "CalYOUTH Wave 2 Youth Survey," focusing on just study participants in Los Angeles County. Of all of the counties in California, Los Angeles County has the greatest number of children in foster care. Since child welfare services are administered at the county level in California, studying Los Angeles provides an important perspective on one of the largest foster care jurisdictions in the nation. CalYOUTH (the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study) is an evaluation of the impact of the California Fostering Connections to Success Act on outcomes during foster youths' transition to adulthood. CalYOUTH includes collection and analysis of information from three sources: (1) transition-age youth; (2) child welfare workers; and (3) government program data. The study, directed by Dr. Mark Courtney at the University of Chicago and conducted in collaboration with the California Department of Social Services and County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA), is being carried out over a 5-year period from 2012-17. The study addresses three research questions: (1) Does extending foster care past age 18 influence youth's outcomes during the transition to adulthood (e.g., outcomes in education, employment, health, housing, parenting, and general well-being)?; (2) What factors influence the types of support youth receive during the transition to adulthood in the context of extended foster care?; (3) How do living arrangements and other services that result from extending foster care influence the relationship between extending care and youth outcomes? The current "CalYOUTH Wave 2 Los Angeles County Report" is limited to just CalYOUTH Study participants who were under the supervision of Los Angeles County child welfare services at the time the study sample was drawn. This report provides feedback for all parties interested in improving youth's transitions from foster care to adulthood. [For "Findings from the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study (CalYOUTH): Conditions of Youth at Age 19," see ED614175.]