Liliana Hernandez, MSW & MPP International Forum on Child Welfare

1. Scholarship and Supports Available to Foster Care Alumni: A Study of 12 Programs across the US LilianaHernandez, MSW & MPP International Forum on Child Welfare Melbourne 2011

2. Foster Youth (FY) may have been either abused or neglected by their parents. Youth may live with foster parents, relative parents (kinship), in group homes, residential treatment centers, or institutions specializing in mental health or physical illness. These youth may be under the supervision of the State until they turn 18 (or in some states until their 21st birthday by informed consent). 13 states have taken the federal option to extend care until age 21. Who are Youth in Foster Care?

3. 54% of FY earn a high school diploma vs. 70% general population (GP) • 70% FY desire to attend college • 37% FY attended college (vs. 54 GP) • 21% completed a degree/certificate after HS • 2% completed a bachelors degree (vs. 24%). (Casey Family Programs, 2008) Poor Educational Outcomes

4. School Mobility: Twice as general population (GP); Changed HS even once, less than half as likely to graduate. Grade Retention (twice as GP) Suspensions: (67% vs. 28% GP) Test Scores: 15 pts less than GP in third, sixth or ninth grade Special Education: 3x GP Mental Health: 25% PTSD vs 4% GP (2x veteran) (Casey Family Programs, 2008) Factors for Poor Educational Outcomes

5. Qualitative Study • Snowball Sample- Identified 12 college programs, State Educational Training Voucher programs, Nonprofit or College based programs. • Taped phone interviews, recordings transcribed. • Two researchers analyzed recordings, 6 major themes were identified. Research Process

6. College Support Programs 3 Guardian Scholars Programs 3 College Supportive Services Programs 2 Educational Training Voucher Programs 2 State Tuition Waiver Program 2 Scholarship programs States include: NY, CA, CO, KS, AK, WA California State University, Fullerton Guardian Scholars Program http://www.fullerton.edu/guardianscholars

7. Academic Preparation • Housing • Financial Assistance • Need for Emergency Assistance • Youth’s Personal Challenges • Need for Advocacy 6 Areas of Youth’s Unmet Needs

8. Youth’s Challenges in College • Applying Late, Missing Deadlines • Unprepared for SAT • Confusion applying for Financial Aid, ETV • Housing • Mental Illness- less healthcare after 21 • Substance Abuse • Financial Management • Groceries, Textbooks • Transportation • Health Care Expenses: (dental, eye care, pregnancy) • “A lot feel guilty because their biological family is struggling. • Lack of Independent Living Skills

9. Outreach to HS Students • “How to” Workshops • Summer Orientation • Textbook Advance • Emergency Assistance Funds • Cafeteria Cards, Meal Plans • Staff at the Drop in Center • Health Care resources Access to more College Counseling Sessions • College Dorms- Transitional Housing Program Site • Counseling, Virtual Mentoring • Career Exploration Workshops, Internships • Alumni Networking • Graduate School Forum College Program Services

10. “Foster care agencies tend to ignore them because they feel that they are successful” • “Youth can just call me and we can make sure that the information gets to the right people” • “Financial Aid, Academic, Career Counseling, Counseling, Health Center, that is really why the program is so successful. It really takes a lot of individuals throughout the university to help this population to be successful” • “Advocacy is needed because youth have made numerous phone calls and have not gotten responses or have gotten incorrect information or lack of information, a lack of accountability and at a certain point without sustained advocacy they are going to give up” Access & Emotional Support

11. “They don’t know how to problem solve well and most 18 year olds don’t have to because they have parents who help them”. • “A lot of students are so used to working on their own but when they get frustrated and reach dead ends, they are not used to finding someone else with the answer that they work to try to get around the issue on their own and when they can’t, they get frustrated and that is when they go missing. It’s too late when I found out that things had gone wrong”. Lack of Independent Living Skills

12. “A lot of them refer to graduation as their second emancipation. It is quite scary for them, our students graduate and they can’t go home for 6 months and start sending out resumes and start figuring out what they want to do. They have to have a job for those that are not going to graduate school, so we really want to help them prepare for that”. The Next Transition

13. Need for More Educational Data, # of FY Graduated from HS and College • Designated Higher Education Liaisons • Training on college process for staff, foster/adoptive parents • Family Counseling • Emergency Assistance Fund • Tuition Waiver Programs with Housing until they Obtain Bachelors Degree Policy Recommendations

14. Resources Supporting Success Guide for Colleges http://www.casey.org/resources/publications/SupportingSuccess.htm Improving Higher Education Outcomes Bibliography http://www.casey.org/hidden/pdf/SupportingSuccess_bibliography.pdf National Resource for Youth Development http://www.nrcyd.ou.edu

15. Children’s Bureau, Child Welfare Program Specialist mslhernandez@gmail.com Children’s Bureau website www.acf.hhs.gov/progams/cb Hernandez, L & Naccarato T., Scholarships and supports available to foster care alumni: A study of 12 programs across the US. Children and Youth Services Review (2010) Vol 32 (5) Liliana Hernandez, MSW & MPP

16. Questions ???