Preparing Foster Youth for Employment

Chapin Hall’s Employment Needs of Foster Youth in Illinois: Findings from the Midwest Study discusses the labor market involvement of youth who have aged out of foster care in the state as the youth reported it to researchers. Limited prior research on this subject has shown poor employment outcomes for these youth, and the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program and later legislation were intended to provide funding to states to help foster youth transition into adulthood and self-sufficiency, including employment. Chapin Hall found that most aged-out foster youth had difficulty staying employed, that those employed tended to be in a job that paid less than a living wage, and that only 63 percent reported having received one service or support to aid with their preparation for employment. With the economy in its present state, the unmet employment needs of young people in the foster care system demand examination and programmatic responses by policymakers and administrators.

Policies to improve job training.