Parents in Foster Care: Trends Over Time From The CalYOUTH Study - 2022
Although the rate of early parenting has continued to decline steadily through 2019, a large proportion of young people making the transition from foster care to adulthood become parents during adolescence and early adulthood. The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 amended Title IV-E to extend the age of eligibility from 18 to 21. Because of the extension of care to age 21, child protective services provides services for a growing number of parents, and, consequently, their children. The purpose of this brief is to provide a summary of data collected on parents transitioning to adulthood from care across all four waves of the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study to inform the development of policies and programs for parenting transition-age youth. The study documents the rate of parenthood among young adults in care across ages and highlights that most TAY parents were living with their children. The findings suggest that CPS should prioritize the needs of parents who remain in care as they transition to adulthood alongside the needs of their children, in the process supporting the healthy development of two generations.