Experiences and needs of homeless youth with a history of foster care

Striving and Dreaming: A Grounded Theory of the Transition to Adulthood for Cross-Systems Youth

“…Resilience is often theorized and studied in the context of trauma, for example, understanding why some individuals or populations thrive even after traumatic events (Thompson et al, 2016; Zimmerman et al, 2013). For cross-systems youth, who have often endured significant trauma through their experiences with homelessness, child maltreatment, and educational challenges (Bender et al, 2015; B. M. Morton, 2015; Zlotnick et al, 2012), it is critical to view striving and dreaming through a lens of trauma-informed practice.…”

“…Although studies such as Bender et al (2015) help to clarify the historical pathways of disadvantage for cross-systems youth, a gap in research remains regarding the transition to adulthood for this population. Emerging adulthood is regarded as the developmental period spanning ages 18 to 24 or 25 (Arnett, 2015).…”

“…While more research is needed on emerging adulthood for diverse youth populations, early scholarship (e.g., Berzin & De Marco, 2010; Munson, Lee, Miller, Cole, & Nedelcu, 2013) indicates that this developmental period may be especially challenging for young people who have experienced trauma and disadvantage, including child maltreatment and homelessness. Prior educational disadvantage ultimately renders child-welfare-involved and homeless youth less likely to complete high school, pursue postsecondary education, and obtain stable well-paying employment (Bender et al, 2015; Burt & Paysnick, 2012; Dworsky & Perez, 2010; Ferguson, Bender, & Thompson, 2015; Lenz-Rashid, 2006). Furthermore, many foster care youth lack support from parents or caregivers as they reach adulthood, yet often are ambivalent about continuing to accept help from the child welfare system or other formal systems (Berzin et al, 2014).…”

“…These effects may be mitigated by family supportive housing, which is associated with improved educational outcomes and reduced child welfare involvement for homeless children (Hong & Piescher, 2012). Furthermore, a study of 601 homeless young adults in three major U.S. cities found that those with a history of foster care involvement experienced longer average durations of homelessness and greater propensity for transience (Bender, Yang, Ferguson, & Thompson, 2015). However, foster care involvement was not associated with participants’ likelihood of obtaining a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED) in this study.…”

Sociodemographic and substance use characteristics associated with typologies and composition of social support networks among youth experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles, USA

“…These social networks provide emotional, instrumental and service support to youth as well as link youth to unhealthy or risky behaviours (Johnson Whitbeck, & Hoyt, ; Rice, Stein, & Milburn, ). Moreover, 30%–40% of youth experiencing homelessness also have experiences in foster care at some point in their lives (Bender, Yang, Ferguson, & Thompson, ; Yoshioka‐Maxwell & Rice, ), and many youths run away or age out of the foster care system. Indeed, nearly two‐thirds of youths aging out of foster care experience homelessness within the first 6 months of transitioning from foster care (Dworsky & Courtney, ), and experiencing homelessness may subsequently lead to the cessation of the already limited supports among these youths (Hagan & McCarthy, ).…”