Making the Transition: How Asset Building Services Can Promote Positive Adult Outcomes for Foster Youth

Melanie L. Nadon - Children and Youth Services Review

Abstract

Foster youth in the U.S. often face a multitude of adverse outcomes, including low educational attainment, elevated rates of adult poverty, and disproportionately high levels of adult homelessness. One newer area of social policy research/advocacy, asset building, can help explain some of these disparities. Foster youth face several barriers to asset building; many youth have had several placements during their stay in foster care, receiving inconsistent schooling, mentoring, and support, and facing limited opportunities to work or save money – all challenges to both social and financial asset building. This paper examines the frequency with which transition-age foster youth receive asset building services and whether the youth who receive services experience improved outcomes compared to those who do not. Analyzing data from the National Youth in Transition Database and using a Propensity Score Matching methodology, this study concludes that youth receiving Budgeting and Financial Education Services and Post-Secondary Education Services experience improved outcomes, including reduced likelihood of homelessness and increased likelihood of employment and educational enrollment. However, less than 30% of youth receive either service. These findings have noteworthy implications for both policy and practice as asset building for foster youth is a potentially promising realm for public service expansion.