Studies and Articles

Frequently Asked Questions About the Foster Care and Independence Act of 1999 and the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program I, II, and III

A series of publications designed to assist child welfare professionals, advocates, and young people to use and understand the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program and the Chafee Education and Training Voucher Program

Transition: The Passage from Youth to Adulthood,The Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities, Inc., and Florida’s Children First, Inc. (2009).  A guide to the services and
information that can make transition a success for young people with disabilities who went
through the Foster Care System.

It’s My Life: A Framework for Youth Transitioning from Foster Care to Successful Adulthood, Casey Family Programs

• It's My Life: Employment (2004) provides benchmarks for career exploration and techniques for job seeking. It breaks out the benchmarks by age group and lets young people describe their successes in their own words. It also provides a wealth of links to online tools and assessments and many suggestions for taking advantage of community resources

• It's My Life: Housing (2005)  helps child welfare professionals prepare young people to find, get, and keep housing. It provides useful information for child welfare professionals and others who work with youth transitioning to adulthood and independent living.

• It's My Life: Post Secondary Education and Training (2006)  helps child welfare professionals prepare young people from foster care for financial and academic success after high school.

• It's My Life: Financial Aid Excerpt (2006)
  For those primarily interested in helping young people find funding sources for college or vocational training, a 30-page excerpt from the guide.

Dependent Youth Aging Out of Foster Care, Jennifer Pokempner, Juvenile Law Center (2003)

Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth (2005)

Employment Outcomes for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care, Robert M. Goerge, Chapin Hall Center for Children (2002)

Aging Out: What happens when you’ve grown up in foster care and suddenly you’re on your own?  This documentary film was broadcast nationwide on PBS in May 2005 and can be viewed on the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative website.(Video)

Nightline Online: After Foster Care (Video)

OPPAGA Report: Independent Living Minimum Standards Recommended for Children in Foster Care, Report No. 04-78, November 2004 (Florida)

OPPAGA Report: Improvements in Independent Living Services Will Better Assist State’s Struggling Youth, Report No. 05-61, December 2005 (Florida)

OPPAGA Report: Improved Fiscal and Quality Oversight Is Needed for the Independent Living Program, Report No. 07-11, February 2007 (Florida)