Midwest Evaluation of Adult Outcomes of Former Foster Youth: Wave 1 Data Mark E. Courtney, Ph.D.

1. Midwest Evaluation of Adult Outcomes of Former Foster Youth: Wave 1 Data Mark E. Courtney, Ph.D. Sherri Terao, Ed.D. Noel Bost, MSW

2. Purpose of Study • Gather information about services provided to selected foster youth in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin • Evaluate adult self-sufficiency outcomes achieved by the youth • Provide guidance to 3 states to comply with provisions and overall purpose of John Chafee Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 • Plan to follow youth longitudinally across 3 waves • Wave 1 – youth’s 17th birthday • Wave 2 – youth’s 19th birthday • Wave 3 – youth’s 21st birthday

3. Sample • Foster youth in 3 states who reach the age of 17 years old while in out-of-home care • In care for at least one year prior to their 17th birthday • Primary focus on youth who are placed in out-of-home care due to abuse and/or neglect

4. Sample • Cases Fielded (784) - Sample (n = 755) - Response Rate: 96.3% • In-person interviews took place between April ’02-’03

5. Demographic Data • Mean Age = 17.39 years • Gender - Total Sample • Male: 375 (49.7%) • Female: 380 (50.3%)

6. Race of Sample • White: 249 (33.2%) • Black: 409 (54.5%) • Asian/Pacific Islander: 5 (.7%) • American Indian/Alaskan Native: 10 (1.3%) • Mixed Race: 77 (10.3%)

7. Hispanic Ethnicity • Total Sample: 64 (9%) • By Race • White: 16 (23.5%) • Black: 12 (17.6%) • Asian/Pacific Islander: * • Amer. Indian/Alaskan: * • Mixed Race: 36 (52.9%)

8. Caregiver Characteristics • Characteristic Number % • Alcohol Abuse 266 37.2 • Drug Abuse 321 44.8 • Mental Illness 141 20.1 • Mental Retardation 18 2.5 • Inadequate Parent 290 41.1 Skills • Spousal Abuse 174 24.2 • Criminal Record 183 27.3

9. Maltreatment History Abuse Type# of Youth% • Abuse 271 37.7 • Neglect 439 60.6 • Abuse and Neglect 220 29.1

10. Current Living Situation • Non-Relative Foster Home: 278 (37%) • Relative Foster Home: 225 (29.9%) • Group Care/Residential: 122 (16.2%) • Adoptive Home: 6 (.8%) • Independent Living Arrangement: 68 (9%) • Other: 53 (7%) (e.g., living with friends, siblings, biological parent, dorm at college)

11. Total Number of Foster Placements • 1 Placement (25.4%) • 2 Placements (18.6%) • 3 Placements (15%) • 4 Placements (9.5%) • 5 Placements (7.5%) • 6 Placements (4.3%) • 7 or more (15.9%)

12. Number of Group Homes/ Residential Trtmt. Centers • 1 placement (22.6%) • 2 placements (13.4%) • 3 Placements (9.3%) • 4 placements (5.9%) • 5 or more (9.1%)

13. Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Education) Type of Training Number % • Career Counseling 191 25.7 • Study Skills Training 205 27.7 • School to Work Supp. 147 20.0 • GED Prep 73 9.8 • SAT Prep 130 17.4 • Help with College Apps 227 30.3 • Help with Financial Aid 167 22.4 • College Fair 145 19.5 • Resume Writing Wkshp. 169 22.7

14. Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Employment) Help With Number % • Identifying Employers 155 20.7 • Completing Job App 350 46.8 • Develop Interview Skills 341 45.6 • Job Referral/Placement 194 26.0 • Career Resource Library 160 21.4 • Explanation of Benefits 143 19.2 • Obtaining Work Permit 295 39.7 • Explain Workplace Values 275 36.8 • Internship 79 10.6 • Summer Employ Programs 235 31.3

15. Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Finances) Type of Training Number % • Money Management 275 36.7 • Help w/ Tax Returns 170 22.7 • Use of a Budget 273 36.4 • Open a Checking/ 335 44.7 Savings Account • Balance Checkbook 316 42.1 • Consumer Awareness 199 26.8 • Access Info on Credit 144 19.3

16. Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Housing) Type of Training Number % • Help Finding an Apt. 192 25.6 • Help w/ Apt. Applic. 116 15.5 • Security Deposits/ 189 25.2 Utilities • Landlord Complaints 149 19.9 • Health/Safety 219 29.4 • Tenant’s Rights/ 186 24.8 Responsibilities • Cleaning Classes 204 27.2

17. Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Health/Hygiene) Type of Training Number % • Home Maint/Repair 160 21.4 • Personal Hygiene 355 47.4 • Nutritional Needs 343 45.7 • Meal Planning/Prep 277 37.0 • Health/Fitness 345 46.1 • Routine Healthcare 265 35.5 • Health/Dental Insur. 198 26.5 • First Aid Course 264 35.3 • Maintain Health Record 204 27.2 • Birth Control 349 46.5 • Substance Abuse 377 50.3

18. Reported Training in Independent Living Skills for All States (Youth Development) Type of Training Number % • Youth Conferences 162 21.8 • Leadership Activities 194 26.0 • Mentoring Services 218 29.1

19. Independent Living Subsidy Number % Received IL Subsidy 89 11.8 Currently Receiving 51 6.8 Time Received (Months) • < 1 month 9 17.6 • 1 - 3 months 15 29.4 • 4 - 6 months 14 27.4 • 7 - 9 months 2 3.9 • 10 - 12 months 4 7.9 • > 12 months 5 9.9

20. Mental Health Status • 279 (37.3%) youth reported receiving psychological/emotional counseling. • 171 (22.8%) reported taking medication for emotional problems. • 53 (7.1%) were hospitalized for psychological reasons.

21. Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) Results (n=755) Diagnosis# of Youth% • Post Traumatic 122 16.2 Stress Disorder (PTSD) • Generalized Anxiety Disorder * * • Social Phobia 3 .4 • Alcohol Abuse 95 12.6 • Alcohol Dependence 26 3.4 • Substance Abuse 65 8.4 • Substance Dependence 46 5.9

22. CIDI Results (Depression) Major Depression# of Youth% • Single episode, mild 11 1.4 • Single episode, mod 7 .9 • Single episode, severe 8 .8 • Recurrent, mild 10 1.3 • Recurrent, mod 7 .9 • Recurrent, severe 4 .5 Total 47 6

23. Health Status (Self-Report) Health Rating# of Youth% • Excellent: 210 27.8% • Very Good: 226 29.9% • Good: 214 28.3% • Fair: 93 12.3% • Poor: 7 .9%

24. Health Status • 631 (84%) report their last medical exam was less than 1 year ago. • 99 (13.2%) report their last medical exam was 1 to 2 years ago. • 534 (70.7%) report their last dental exam was less than 1 year ago. • 164 (21.8%) report their last dental exam was 1 to 2 years ago.

25. Education • Enrolled in School: 623 (82.6%) • Type of School: • High School - 611 (85.1%) • Vocational School - 11 (1.5%) • College - 48 (6.4%) • Other - 48 (6.4%) • Special Education: 357 (47.7%) • Received HS Diploma: 90 (11.9%) • Received GED or Equivalent: 22 (2.9%) • 275 (36.6%) repeated a grade • Median Grade Equivalent Reading Score (WRAT-3): 7th Grade

26. How much schooling would youth like to have? 9th - 11th Grade: 3 (.4%) Graduate from HS: 88 (11.7%) Some College: 98 (13.0%) Graduate from College: 363 (48.2%) More than College: 167 (22.2%) Other: 24 (3.2%) Don’t Know: 10 (1.3%) How much schooling does youth think they’ll have? 9th - 11th Grade: 2 (.3%) Graduate from HS: 104 (13.8%) Some College: 118 (15.7%) Graduate from College: 334 (44.4%) More than College: 109 (14.5%) Other: 39 (5.2%) Don’t Know: 47 (6.2%) Educational Aspirations

27. Employment • 279 (37.1%) of the sample are currently employed. • 225 (80.6%) are satisfied with their job. • 51 (6.7%) are dissatisfied with their job.

28. Feelings About Foster Care • 409 (54.4%) agree that they should have been placed in foster care. • 459 (61%) are satisfied with their foster care experience. • 431 (57.3%) agree that social workers were helpful to them. • 218 of 278 (78.4%) of youth responding feel their foster parents were helpful.

29. Future Use of Foster Care System Likeliness in future to ask foster care agency for help with: • Financial Help - 342 (46%) • Personal Problems - 351 (47%) • Employment Problems - 367 (49%) • Family Problems - 309 (41.4%) • Housing Problems - 366 (49.1%) • Health Problems - 286 (38.4%) • Other Problems - 334 (45.3%)

30. Relationships with Family Closeness To: Very Somewhat Not Very Not at all CloseCloseCloseClose • Current Foster 60.1% 29.1% 4.7% 6.1% Family • Relatives 68% 26.2% 3.1% 2.2% (live with) • Group Home 33.6% 40.2% 11.5% 14.8% • Birth Mom 36.7% 26.4% 14.8% 21.4% • Birth Dad 18% 16.9% 13.5% 49.6% • Siblings 66.5% 19.2% 5.7% 5.9% • Grandparents 43% 20.2% 6.8% 16.2%

31. Visits with Family In The Past Year Family MemberMedian # visits • Birth Mom: 15 • Birth Dad: 10 • Siblings: 24 • Grandparents: 11

32. Visits with Social Worker In the Past Year Median # % no calls or visits • Visits 12 3.0% • Phone Calls 6 17%

33. Legal Involvement • Respondents: (n=755) Males 254 (68.5%) Females 176 (46.4%) QuestionMalesFemales Arrested 230 (62%) 160 (42.2%) Convicted of crime 116 (31.3%) 61 (16.1%) Jail, prison, J. Hall 173 (46.6%) 98 (25.9%)

34. Delinquency Questions Behavior over the past yearResponse • Paint graffiti on property 64 (8.5%) • Deliberately damage property 158 (21%) • Lie to parent (figure) about whereabouts 477 (63.6%) or who you were with • Take something from a store without paying 317 (42.3%) • Got into a serious physical fight 513 (68.4%) • Hurt someone badly enough to need 290 (38.7%) bandages or doctor’s/nurse’s care • Run away from home 332 (44.3%)

35. Delinquency Questions Behavior over past yr.Response • Drive a car without the owner’s 122 (16.3%) permission • Steal something worth more than $50 73 (9.7%) • Go into a house or building to steal 90 (12%) something • Use/threaten use of a weapon to get some 81 (10.9%) from someone else • Sell marijuana or other drugs 170 (22.7%) • Steal something worth less than $50 288 (38.5%) • Participate in a fight involving a group of 266 (35.4%) your friends against another group • Were loud, rowdy, or unruly in a public place 366 (48.8%)

36. Victimization - Past 12 Mos. • 28.2% of youth have had a knife or gun pulled on them. • 3.5% of youth have been shot • 15% of youth have been stabbed • 68.5% have been in physical fight • 32.1% have been jumped

37. Perpetrator - Past 12 Mos. • 13.1% of youth have pulled a gun or knife on someone • 5.7% shot or stabbed someone • 5.8% of youth carried a weapon

38. Optimism About Future • Very Optimistic 437 (58.2%) • Fairly Optimistic 247 (32.9%) • Not Too Optimistic 31 (4.1%) • Not At All Optimistic 30 (4.0%) • Don’t Know 6 (.8%)