In a 2013 study put out by the Urban Institute, the authors describe how youth in foster care who participated in the Multi-Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs Life Skills Training Program rated their preparedness for work at age 17, and explore whether their assessments accurately predict employment two years later.
Some of their findings include:
• Compared to youth in the general population, education and employment
rates for youth in foster care are low.
• Approximately one in six youth were employed at age 17 compared to almost
half at age 19. Also at 19, 25 percent were enrolled in higher education and
75 percent had worked in the previous year.
• For each outcome, youth with a very high sense of job preparedness and high
reading ability fare best.
• The findings demonstrate that youth need continual support around employment,
even if they feel highly prepared.
Read the full report here.