ILR’s Real World Simulation received wonderful recognition for Holton Career and Resource Center Real World event in the Herald Sun! Read More...

Huffington Post discussing The Power of Foster Care Politics Read More...

Each year the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program provides $140 million for independent living services to assist youth as they age out of foster care and enter adulthood. Under this formula grant program, states are provided allocations and allowed to use up to 30 percent of program funds for room and board for youth ages 18 to 21 who have left care. This report describes how states are using these funds to provide housing assistance to these vulnerable youth and explores how the assistance provided through this program fits in with other sources of housing assistance available in the states examined. Read More...

This paper considers the implications for developmentally appropriate child welfare practice with young people in foster care, taking into account their experiences of trauma and loss. Read More...

Sexual Health Needs of Youth in Foster Care“Tell Us What We Need to Hear” Read More...

Foster youth need emotional and practical support from caregivers and caseworkers, flexibility on the part of teachers and coaches, and state laws that protect their right to fully participate in school-related activities. Read More...

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 created a new mandate for education enrollment and stability for children and youth in foster care. This brief aims to help agency leaders, policymakers, judges, and their partners understand and respond effectively to the education requirements of Fostering Connections by reflecting on lessons learned from initiatives to improve education outcomes for youth in and leaving foster care during the past decade Read More...

Beginning in 2000, ACF initiated national consultations with State child welfare agencies, private agency youth service providers and current and former foster youth, to develop this data collection system. In 2008, this collaborative work culminated in the publication of the regulation implementing the data collection requirements of the Foster Care Independence Act; a reporting system we now know as the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD). Read More...

Number of Youth Aging out of Foster Care Continues to Rise; Increasing 64 percent since 1999 Read More...

Foster Youth Education Initiative Releases Report on Improving Opportunities for Foster Youth National Center for Youth Laws Foster Youth Education Initiative has released its long-awaited report on how California is ensuring that foster children receive appropriate educational opportunities. Foster youth frequently lack parent advocates; as a consequence, they often fail to receive the opportunities necessary to succeed in school. This report examines an emerging strategy designed to ensure that foster youth receive the opportunities they need: the creation of educational advocacy systems for foster youth. These systems provide a structure for identifying foster youth facing challenges, determining their educational needs, and ensuring that they receive appropriate support. The report outlines the common components of education advocacy systems and provides an overview of 11 different such systems across California. It also offers concrete recommendations for working to improve the educational and life outcomes of these children Read More...