Document Type
Dissertation
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Major/Program
Social Welfare
First Advisor's Name
Hui Huang
First Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Chair
Second Advisor's Name
Richard Beaulaurier
Second Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Member
Third Advisor's Name
Amy Paul-Ward
Third Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Member
Fourth Advisor's Name
Mario De La Rosa
Fourth Advisor's Committee Title
Committee Member
Keywords
public affairs, public policy, and public administration, public policy, race and ethnicity, social and behavioral sciences, social statistics, social welfare, social work, theory, knowledge and science
Date of Defense
3-26-2021
Abstract
The economic well-being outcomes of youth who are removed from foster care status due to reaching the age of ineligibility (i.e., age out) is an important issue in public health and social work. This study investigated the interrelation between simultaneously embodying both a sex and race/ethnicity (i.e., intersectional identity), circumstances experienced through age 19 (i.e., foster care experiences), and economic well-being indicators at age 21, using secondary administrative data from a 4-year longitudinal study (N = 4657). In terms of intersectional identity, findings indicated that intersectional identity was directly related to employment and postsecondary education outcomes. In terms of foster care experiences, findings indicated that experiencing homelessness, multiple placement episodes, and having a substance abuse referral on file, were directly related with each of the outcomes analyzed.
Circumstances known to be associated with employment and educational attainment status among youth who age out were also measured simultaneously, for testing mediation in three separate statistical models. Findings indicated that intersectional identities position youth to have higher or lower odds of being employed or attaining an educational credential by age 21, through material circumstances, and psychosocial circumstances, but not behavioral circumstances.
Collectively, these findings evidence that material circumstances (e.g., residential stability, rental assistance, food benefits, and transportation vouchers) are crucial to the employment and educational prospects of all youth who age out. Compared to non-Hispanic White males, several intersectional groups had greater odds of experiencing circumstances that impact their economic well-being prospects. At the same time, indirect effects were mostly observed among female-containing intersectional identities, due to lower odds of experiencing deleterious circumstances while aging out. Taken together, these findings highlight the importance of changing the mechanisms that contribute to disparities in economic well-being among youth who age out, and emphasize the importance of leaning away from one-size-fits-all social work and policy practice.
Identifier
FIDC009693
Recommended Citation
Campbell, John, "Mediating Effects of Foster Care Experiences on Employment and Educational Outcomes in Aged Out Former Foster Youth" (2021). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4638.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/4638
Included in
Public Policy Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Social Statistics Commons, Social Welfare Commons, Social Work Commons, Theory, Knowledge and Science Commons
Rights Statement
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).