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March 2012Vol. 13, No. 2Improving Outcomes for Youth in Care

A new study from Casey Family Programs asserts that youth in foster care with fewer placements experience better employment outcomes, and those who receive frequent educational services experience greater educational attainment. Employment Programs and Life Opportunities for Youth (EmPLOY): Findings From a Two-Year National Project provides results from an evaluation of six transition centers located in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Houston, Detroit, Chicago, and New York.

The program was funded in 2004 by five grants from the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL's) Employment and Training Administration to improve educational and employment outcomes for foster youth aged 16 to 25. Casey Family Programs later funded the program in 2007 when DOL's funding ended. The EmPLOY report highlights data gathered through interviews with 788 youth and alumni of foster care in the six transition programs over 2 years as they transitioned out of care and interviews with 92 staff, youth in foster care and alumni, and stakeholders of these programs.

The study examined participant demographics, foster care experiences, educational and employment outcomes, and services provided.

Participants received the following services:

  • Ninety percent received goal assistance.
  • Seventy-three percent received career-planning services.
  • Seventy-one percent received job search skills services.
  • Seventy-one percent received academic assessment services.
  • Seventy-three percent received transportation services.
  • Sixty-seven percent received money management services.

Participants enrolled in the EmPLOY program experienced the following outcomes:

  • Twelve percent earned a high school diploma, but the rate increased to 36 percent when school tours were provided
  • Five percent earned a GED, but the rate increased to 13 percent when GED preparation was optimized.
  • Fifty percent enrolled in some type of postsecondary education program, but the rate increased to 99 percent when college tutoring was provided more than once a week.
  • Twenty-six percent obtained employment, and 80 percent maintained employment for 6 months consecutively or longer; no services predicted these outcomes.

In addition to clinical and collaborative recommendations, the authors recommend providing transition programs that give youth access to secondary school tours, GED preparation services, paid work experiences, and job retention services to improve educational and employment outcomes.

Employment Programs and Life Opportunities for Youth (EmPLOY): Findings From a Two-Year National Project, by Mei Ling Ellis, Tobin Marsh, Debbie Staub, and Kirk O’Brien, is available on the Casey website:

http://www.casey.org/resources/publications/employ/pdf/National_2Year.pdf  (3 MB)

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