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Predicting Homelessness among Emerging Adults Aging Out of Foster Care
Author(s) -
Shah Melissa Ford,
Liu Qinghua,
Mark Eddy J.,
Barkan Susan,
Marshall David,
Mancuso David,
Lucenko Barbara,
Huber Alice
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1002/ajcp.12098
Subject(s) - foster care , odds , health psychology , logistic regression , psychology , gerontology , bivariate analysis , juvenile delinquency , public health , medicine , demography , psychiatry , nursing , sociology , statistics , mathematics
Abstract 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.