Report sheds light on additional supports foster youth need to succeed

Foster youth in California face an array of systemic barriers that often interfere with their educational success. The UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools recently released a report, Understanding Belongingness, Support, and Perseverance: An Exploratory Study of the Educational Experiences of Foster Youth in California, with recommendations for K-12, college and state leaders to help better support students in the foster care system.

California leads the nation in foster care placements with approximately 67,000 foster youth. Statewide, foster youth graduated high school at a rate of 61 percent compared to the average of 85 percent during the 2021–22 academic year. Notably, students with experience in foster care face many challenges while they attend school, navigate the child welfare system and pursue postsecondary education.

These students have historically lagged behind their peers in educational outcomes due to factors such as low expectations from educators, insufficient support systems, attending under-resourced schools and lack of academic guidance, as well as increased rates of school suspension, chronic absenteeism and placement in special education and independent educational programs.

Another challenge contributing to the lower educational outcomes of these children is changing schools frequently, which can negatively impact social-emotional competence and academic achievement.

According to the report, many students with experience in foster care also faced isolation and a lack of safety and support while seeking belonging in the foster care system and in their schools.

“Our findings emphasize the importance of campus support programs tailored for youth with foster care backgrounds, as these initiatives play a critical role in fostering a sense of belonging and facilitating successful transitions to college,” researchers wrote. “Moreover, our findings revealed that K-12 systems must be better equipped to provide early intervention, guidance, and mentorship in assisting students to acquire college knowledge. Additionally, dedicated adults who provide consistent mentorship and support can have a transformative impact on their educational journeys.”

Key findings

While foster care is intended to provide a supportive and caring home for youth in the system, researchers found an overwhelming percentage of study participants reported the opposite. About 65 percent did not feel safe in foster care, 79 percent did not feel connected, 68 percent didn’t feel supported, 83 percent said they didn’t feel respected, and 66 percent reported experiencing some form of discrimination and/or prejudice in foster care.

Similarly, belongingness and adult support were shown to be important aspects of the participants’ high school experiences. However, according to the report, many students with foster care experience reported feeling isolated or unsupported and had struggles with their mental health and academic success.

According to the report, 58 percent of respondents said they didn’t feel safe in high school, 64 percent did not feel connected, 60 percent didn’t feel supported and 72 percent didn’t feel respected. The majority also said they did not have help from a foster parent or another adult at their placement in graduating from high school (56 percent) or preparing for college (63 percent). A little over 70 percent said the same regarding social worker support in graduating high school and preparing for college.

Those who reported positive feelings of connection and acceptance during their high school experience saw improved academic engagement and overall well-being, underscoring the necessity of cultivating inclusive and nurturing environments for students in foster care. Researchers noted that support systems are critical for students who experience foster care in navigating college choices and persistence.

Recommendations

In addition to recommendations to improve the state foster care and child welfare systems and boost post-secondary success for those with foster care experience, the report includes four strategies targeting the K-12 system:

  1. Increase funding to support school personnel who work with students with experience in foster care. By increasing personnel, particularly foster youth school liaisons, researchers said caseloads would be more manageable, “which enables students to be properly served and prevents staff burnout.”
  2. State leaders should increase investment toward creating high school foster youth support programs to increase high school graduation and college enrollment with tailored workshops and resources for foster youth.
  3. Local educational agencies should adopt more constructive restorative practice approaches, such as understanding the root causes of behavioral issues and collaboratively developing solutions with the student rather than rely on exclusionary disciplinary measures for foster youth who may already face significant challenges and instability.
  4. Provide training for all school staff on trauma-informed practices to help educators approach discipline with greater sensitivity and effectiveness.