title: Predicting Homelessness among Emerging Adults Aging Out of Foster Care.
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.
authors.affiliation: Research and Data Analysis Division, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Olympia, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa Ford
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Research and Data Analysis Division, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Olympia, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Partners for Our Children, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mark Eddy
authors.affiliation: Partners for Our Children, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barkan
authors.affiliation: Research and Data Analysis Division, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Olympia, WA, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Research and Data Analysis Division, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Olympia, WA, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.affiliation: Research and Data Analysis Division, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Olympia, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lucenko
authors.affiliation: Research and Data Analysis Division, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Olympia, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huber
mesh_terms: D000073978:Academic Performance; D000293:Adolescent; D000300:Adoption; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002669:Child Welfare; D003416:Criminal Law; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care; D016352:Group Homes; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents; D065840:Protective Factors; D012307:Risk Factors; D014861:Washington; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Foster care; Homelessness; Predictive modeling