Predicting Homelessness among Emerging Adults Aging Out of Foster Care

• Published in: American journal of community psychology 2017-09, Vol.60 (1-2), p.33-43
• Main Authors: Shah, Melissa Ford, Liu, Qinghua, Mark Eddy, J., Barkan, Susan, Marshall, David, Mancuso, David, Lucenko, Barbara, Huber, Alice
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Performance; Adolescent; Adoption; Adult; African Americans; Aging; Asian Americans - statistics & numerical data; Child placement; Child Welfare; Criminal Law; Ethnic Groups - statistics & numerical data; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; Foster care; Foster Home Care; Group Homes; Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data; Homeless people; Homeless Persons - statistics & numerical data; Homelessness; Housing; Humans; Indians, North American - statistics & numerical data; Logistic Models; Male; Oceanic Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Odds Ratio; Older people; Parents; Peers; Predictions; Predictive modeling; Protective Factors; Risk Factors; Washington; Young Adult; Youth
• ISSN: 0091-0562; 1573-2770
• DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12098

This study examines risk and protective factors associated with experiencing homelessness in the year after “aging out” of foster care. Using a state‐level integrated administrative database, we identified 1,202 emerging adults in Washington State who exited foster care between July 2010 and June 2012. Initial bivariate analyses were conducted to assess the association between candidate predictive factors and an indicator of homelessness in a 12‐month follow‐up period. After deploying a stepwise regression process, the final logistic regression model included 15 predictive factors. Youth who were parents, who had recently experienced housing instability, or who were African American had approximately twice the odds of experiencing homelessness in the year after exiting foster care. In addition, youth who had experienced disrupted adoptions, had multiple foster care placements (especially in congregate care settings), or had been involved with the juvenile justice system were more likely to become homeless. In contrast, youth were less likely to experience homelessness if they had ever been placed with a relative while in foster care or had a high cumulative grade point average relative to their peers.