Youth with disabilities transitioning from foster care: Examining prevalence and predicting positive outcomes

Youth with disabilities are overrepresented among youth transitioning out of the foster care system (Slayter, 2016), yet few studies specifically examine the needs of former foster youth with disabilities as they transition into adulthood. Addressing this gap, the current study provides a more nuanced account of foster youth with disabilities' transitions into adulthood. Using two national databases (NYTD and AFCARS), this study: (1) describes the prevalence of disability among older youth in foster care (age 17) and (2) investigates differences in educational and employment outcomes at age 21 among youth with and without disability diagnoses, with attention toward distinguishing emotional from non-emotional diagnoses. These lines of inquiry provide information about the experiences and needs of older foster youth with disabilities so that practices and policies aimed toward improving educational and employment outcomes can be appropriately tailored to this substantial population of youth exiting care.