This article describes what a private agency spent money on while addressing the transitional needs of former long-term foster youth, and examines the association between expenditures and adult outcomes.
Not all young adults accepted supports extended to them; in the sample, 41 percent of the young adults incurred expenses after age 19. Of those using supports, about two-thirds incurred expenses for higher education, and slightly fewer for continued housing support. Young adults who received extended supports tended to be better off at follow-up, although some troubled young adults used extensive, expensive services.
Access the article here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15202801