Pathways of Older Adolescents out of Foster Care: Implications for Independent Living Services

This article reports the results of a study of final discharge outcomes for an exit cohort of 2,653 foster youths in California who were at least 17 years old at exit and had spent at least 18 months in care before their final discharge. A logistic regression model of discharge status was developed that expresses the effect of selected variables on the odds that a child exited foster care via one of three routes: (I) by reaching the age of majority while still in care or being legally emancipated to independent living) (2) by family reunification, placement with a relative or guardian, or adoption; or (3) by an “unsuccessful” exit from care. A youth's number of placements in foster care, time spent in care, and the type of placement the child last resided in were all found to be related to final discharge status. The implications of these findings for efforts to prepare foster youths for independent living are discussed. Of particular interest is the finding that a large proportion of youths who have spent a long time in foster care away from their families nevertheless return to their families at exit from care.