Fo Fost ster Y Youth h to C College! Den enny R Roa oark, U UW System Fos oster Y You outh t to o Col ollege A Advisory ory G Grou oup
• By defi finiti tion fo foste ter y youth th h have been s subject t to to two t traumatic c ex exper erien ence ces: • th the n neglect t or a abuse th that t brought th them to to th the atte ttenti tion of th f the a auth thoriti ties • th the r removal fr from th their fa family • These t e traumatic c ex experien ences ces a are e the e root o of the e uniq ique barrie iers t to h hig igher educatio ion opportunit itie ies fa faced by fo foste ter y youth th
Mor ore tha han 400 400,000 c chi hildren in in foster c car are in in the he United S State tes. Studies s show t that f fos oste ter you outh, e espe pecially t thos ose w who o “age ou out” w without a a permane anent nt f famil ily, a are m much ch mor ore l likely to to experi rience poverty, u unemplo loym yment nt, homele lessne ness, i incar arcerat atio ion, n, a and compromis ised healt alth a h after they ey leave f foster c r care. It is is estim imated t that hat o onl nly 54% 54% o of the hese y yout uth ear arn a a high s h school d l diplo loma, a, and d 2% earn a a Bachelor’s degree or h hig igher. . Fif ifty-one p percent experi rience chronic nic unemplo loym yment nt.
Natio ional S Statis istic ics The r rate te a at which f fos oster y you outh a attend coll llege is is 20% 20% The r rate te a at which t their pe peers a atte tend coll llege is is 60% 60%
Wiscons nsin n Foste ter Y Youth uth Approximately 7 7,30 300 yout uth c cur urrently i in n fo foster • ca care Approximately 4 400 0 youth a h annu nually e exit c care • (“age o out”) ”) a at age 1 18 i in Wisconsin ( in (almost h half fr from Mi Milwaukee C Coun unty)
Wiscons nsin Y n Youth uth Atte tend nding P Posts tsecond ndary Educatio ion Year Number of Number of Youth Youth Attending Receiving DCF Postsecondary Scholarship Education 2010 373 218 2011 337 210 2012 317 186 2013 427 190 2014 430 200 Source: Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
Midwest Evaluation of Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth Iowa, Illinois & Wisconsin Youth Outcomes at Age 26 (2011) HIG HIGHE HEST G GRADE CO COMPLETED B BY GENDAR Total Females Males (N=593) (N=330) (N=263) # % # % # % No No H HS D S Diploma or G GED 118 19.9 57 17.3 61 23.2 HS Diploma O Onl nly 182 30.7 96 29.1 86 32.7 GED O Onl nly 56 9.4 27 8.2 29 11.0 At Le Leas ast 1 1 Year ar o of College 188 31.7 114 34.5 74 28.1 2-Yea ear D Degree ee 26 4.4 18 5.5 8 3.0 4-Ye Year d degree 15 2.5 12 3.6 3 1.1 1 or M 1 r More Y Years rs o of Gra rad S Scho hool 8 1.3 6 1.8 2 0.8 http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/Midwest%20Evaluation_R eport_4_10_12.pdf
Foster Youth t to C College Adviso isory G Group FYC creat ated w with h the f first ( (1999 999) p publis blishin hing of Midwest E Evalu luat atio ion n of the A Adult lt F Func nctio ioni ning o of Former F Foster Y Youth ( h (Chap apin H in Hall ll longit itud udinal inal study) y) 79% of of you outh i indicated a a desire t to o go o to to col ollege 12 12-18 m mont nths af after a aging o out ut, onl nly 55% 55% had had com completed h high s schoo ool Onl nly 9% 9% had had e ent ntered c coll llege
Our Missio ssion To address t s the p postsecondary e educ ucational c challenges faced b by youth i in f foster r care a and e encou oura rage c college readine ness a and e enrollment. To engage s e social w worker ers, i indep epen enden ent l t living counselors & & the p postsecond ndary commun unity i in encouraging and s suppo pporti ting foste ter y youth th t to, and throug ugh, c colle lege.
Who We Are Wiscons nsin T Techn hnical C College S System (System em O Office) e) • Wiscons nsin Association of I Independent C Colleges a and • Universities (Ass ssociation O n Offi fice) University o of Wisconsin S System (System & & Campuses) • Secon ondary E Education on (School C Couns nselor) • Department o of P Publ ublic Instruction (WEOP) P) • Department of Children a n and F Families (Indep epen enden ent • Living C Coordinator) or)
Barri arriers • Frequ quent dis disruption o of edu ducation b by changes in in school l placem pl cement: R Res esea earch s sugges ests l loss o of an aver erage o of 4-6 6 mo mont nths o of educ ucational a attainment e each t h time me a stud udent cha hanges sch chools • You Youth of often n not ot aware of of col ollege op oppor ortunities • Youth o often l lack s sufficient p practical k knowle ledge a and skills to succes ccessfully n navigate t e the e co college a e appl pplication pr proces cess • Youth often en per percei ceive the e co cost of co college as an insurmount ntab able b barrier • Yout uth ha have a a hi high i h inc ncidence o of ho home melessness a after l leaving ca care
Barri arriers • Lack o of expectation ons a and e encou oura ragement for colleg ege e atten endance b e by t those r e responsible f for t the e care e and nd e educ ucation o of f fo foster y yout uth • Fos oster c care i re is u unfamiliar t r to o mos ost of of those who s staff America’s i institutions ns of p postsecondary e education “ Colle lege is n not something p people talk t to f foster children a about… t…th they d don’t g ’t grow u up w with th t that t cultural e expe pectation…they a are n not e t even e expe pected to to succeed academically…bu but o once w we start e expecting them em t to succeed eed t they w will.” Former Foster Youth
BREAKING B BARRIE IERS Regio ionaliz lized d System o of Serv rvic ices for Aged-Out ut Y Yout uth Fede dera rally lly requ quire ired a activ ivit itie ies a and s d serv rvic ices t to b be o offere red f d for y r youth n no lon onger i in OH OHC C ages 1 18-21 21 • Life Skills lls I Instru ructio ion • Mentoring ng • Safe a and nd s stable ho housing, ho home up upkeep a and nd ma maintenance • Identif ifie ied I d Income/Emplo loyment/Care reer P r Plannin ing • Emplo loyment t train inin ing a and w work rk support rt • Seconda dary ry e educatio ion c comple letio ion a and p d postseconda dary ry enro rollm llment and comple letio ion • Healt lth a and M d Medic dical • Budg dgetin ing a and f d financia ial l plannin ing • Heal althy M y Marriag age • Resourc rce a and r referra rral • Life l fe long ng c conne nnections ns to c caring ng a adul ults
Br Breaking Ba Barriers • Youth r resilienc ncy • Desire f for c college e education • Foster yo youth hav ave s sam ame as aspirations an and ac academic apt ptitude a as th their pe peers • More s stat ate de depar artments of child w d welfar are ar are eng ngage ged with h educ ucationa nal p planni nning ng • Col olleg eges a are e mor ore a e aware e of of the e unique e need eeds of foster y youth • Promising ng increa ease e in y youth accessin ing h higher educ ucation i in n the he l last fi five years
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) A A child ild in in foster c care w will ill e enroll o or rema main i in n the child’ ld’s s school l of of or origin, u , unless a a determin inatio ion is is m made de that it it is is n not in in t the child ild’s b best in interest t to attend tha that s scho hool; ; If a de determination is is made de t that it it is is not in in the the child’ ld’s b best in interest t to remain in in the sch chool of origin, t the c child ild w will ill b be immedia diately enr nrolled i in n a ne new s scho hool, e even i if the the child ld is s unable le t to produ duce r records ds n normall lly r requir ired f d for e enrollm llment; and nd A new ( (enrollin lling) s school i l immedia iately contacts the the s scho hool o of or origin t to o obt obtain releva vant acade demic ic a and o other r records ds.
DCF S Schola larsh ship ip Scholar larship hip a awar ards u up to $5,000 000 for y youth h who who hav have b been in in out ut-of of-home c care re and d are e enteri ring a an accre redited d degre ree, l license, o or certif ific icat ate p program
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