ERIC Number: ED622198
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jun
Pages: 8
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Employment and Youth with Foster Care Experience: Understanding Barriers and Supporting Success
Fung, Sara; Haspel, Jessica; Kniffen, Susanna; Wondra, Danielle
Children Now
Employment is foundational to young people's successful transition into adulthood, yet many youth with lived experience in the foster care system struggle to obtain employment that provides a living wage. Youth with foster care experience typically do not have the same contacts and connections to employment opportunities as youth who have not been in foster care and cannot rely on the economic support of their family. In addition, transition age youth currently or formerly in foster care are more likely to be unemployed than their peers, and when employed, they typically earn less than their peers. Therefore, transition age youth with foster care experience need additional supports and resources to secure and maintain employment during their transition into adulthood. In this report, the authors highlight recent data on employment for youth with foster care experience. They identify ongoing challenges that youth with foster care experience face in participating in workforce readiness training, and finding and maintaining employment that pays a living wage. Additionally, they highlight a few existing supports for current and former foster youth. Finally, they provide policy recommendations and perspectives from youth to help their peers overcome these challenges and thrive in their careers. [Additional support for this report was provided by additional Maya Kamath, Nima Rahni, and Ted Lempert.]
Descriptors: Youth, Foster Care, Barriers, Career Readiness, Job Training, Wages, Living Standards, Data, Employment Patterns, Federal Programs, Adult Education, Adult Literacy, Labor Legislation, Federal Legislation, Labor Force Development, Youth Employment
Children Now. 1212 Broadway 5th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Tel: 510-763-2444; Fax: 510-763-1974; e-mail: children@childrennow.org; Web site: http://www.childrennow.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Authoring Institution: Children Now
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 2014 Title II; Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 2014
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A