Transition-Age Youth in Kinship Care: Trends Over Time From The CalYOUTH Study
Despite scholarly and programmatic investment in kinship care, little is known about the experience of transition-age youth (TAY) in foster care who live with relatives, be they kinship caregivers, birth or stepparents, siblings, partners, or non-relative extended family members. Understanding TAY’s relations with relatives as they transition out of foster care and into early adulthood can reveal opportunities to tailor services and programs to the needs of youth and their families. The present brief summarizes data about TAY’s connections with relatives collected across the four waves of the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study to inform the development of policies and programs targeting TAY and the relatives that play a fundamental role in their transition to adulthood. Results suggest policymakers and practitioners should leverage funding available through the Family First Prevention Services Act and other federal programs to develop and expand services targeting TAY and the kinship families that provide them with essential instrumental and emotional support.