Online Webinar – September 2, 2009 at 10:00 amPresented by the

John Burton Foundation

Call-in phone number for live audio: 312-878-0218 Access code: 544-732-198

Just the Facts: Using Data to Better Meet the Needs of Former Foster Youth in

California’s THP-Plus Program

Webinar Technical Details

• Call-in phone number for live audio: 312-878-0218; Access code: 544-732-198

• To submit live questions, click on the “Question and Answer” arrow on your screen, type your question, and click “Send.”

Outline of Presentation

• Brief background on THP-Plus

• Methodology

• Demographics

• Employment & Education

• Housing

• Criminal Justice and Assets

• Parenting & Older Youth

• Programmatic and Policy Implications

Today’s Presenters

• Amy Lemley, John Burton Foundation

• Sara Kimberlin, John Burton Foundation

• Michele Byrnes, John Burton Foundation

• Theresa Thurmond, CDSS

• Lynette Stueve, CDSS

THP-Plus at a Glance

• Established by CA Legislature in 2001; first implemented in 2003

• Provides affordable housing and supportive services for a 24 month period to youth, age 18 to 24, who “age out” of foster care

• Program is active in 46 of California’s 58 counties; there are 90 providers

Growth in THP-Plus Capacity

167

2,359

1,287

502

10150

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

2,359 youth were served by THP-Plus in FY 2008-09

Methodology

• PTS implemented 7/1/08

• Includes data from 35 of 41 implementing counties (~90% of total youth)

• Data in analysis from program entrance

• 27 data elements collected at program entrance

• Sample size range: 288 to 1,049 youth

– 80% of analyses include 700+ youth

• All reported findings are statistically significant

Demographic Summary

  % n

San Francisco Bay Area

23% 1049

Sacramento County 8%

Other Northern California

21%

Subtotal Northern California

52%

   

San Diego County 24%

Los Angeles County 13%

Other Southern California

11%

Subtotal Southern California

48%

  % n

Female 65% 1003

Male 35%

     

Black 42% 989

White non-Hispanic 23%

Hispanic 20%

Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander, Multi-racial, or Other

15%

     

Age 18 to 20 82% 1049

Age 21 to 24 18%

     

Self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender

6% 770

Educational Attainment: Most youth enter THP-Plus with a H.S diploma or GED

Some high school, 30%

High school or GED, 69%

AA or BA, 1%

Highest Educational Attainment at Entrance

Educational Status: Strong majority not enrolled in school at program entrance

Academic Status at Program Entrance

High school/GED, 15%

Community college, 22%

Four-year college, 2%

Not enrolled, 61%

Employment Status: Majority of entrants not employed

Employed, 45%

Seeking employment, 45%

Not employed; not seeking , 10%

Employment Status at Program Entrance

Employment: Those employed are employed marginally

Median wage $8.50

Received public benefits 23%

Received other types of financial support 19%

Median monthly income $700

Percentage of youth with no income 27%

Wage and Benefit Status at Program Entrance

36% of youth enter THP-Plus “disconnected”

Criminal Justice & Assets

Involved with juvenile probation 17%

Incarcerated for adult offense prior to entering THP-Plus 9%

Received adult criminal conviction prior to entering THP-Plus 7%

Had bank account 54%

Had health insurance 85%

Reported a permanent connection with a caring adult 93%

Criminal Justice

Assets

Housing Immediately Prior to THP-Plus

  % n

Foster care 30% 749

Living with relative or others with free rent

23%

Renting own or shared housing 15%

Supportive housing program 9%

Other housing 4%

Homeless, emergency shelter, or other unstable housing

19%

     

Experienced homelessness prior to THP-Plus

39% 690

Older Youth in THP-Plus

Experienced Homelessness Prior to THP-Plus

56%

35%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Age 18 to 20 Age 21 to 24

(p<0.0005, n=690)

Older Youth in THP-Plus

Custodial Parent at Entrance to THP-Plus

10%

18%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Age 18 to 20 Age 21 to 24

(p<0.005, n=1049)

Parenting Youth in THP-Plus

37%

49%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Not custodial parent Custodial parent

(p<0.05, n=690)

Experienced Homelessness Prior to Entrance

49%

22%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Not custodial parent Custodial parent

(p<0.0005, n=737)

Parenting Youth in THP-Plus

Employed at Program Entrance

Parenting Youth in THP-Plus

42%

25%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Not custodial parent Custodial parent

(p<0.0005, n=737)

Attending School at Program Entrance

Parenting Youth in THP-Plus

31%

59%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Not custodial parent Custodial parent

(p<0.0005, n=741)

“Disconnected” at Program Entrance

Demographics: What questions do the data raise?

• Why are we serving more young women than young men?

• Are program materials, policies and curricula sensitive to sexual orientation?

• Are programs providing full-family case management?

• How are programs addressing the needs of non-custodial parents?

• 65% of participants are female

• 6% of youth report they are LGBTQQ

• 12% of youth entering THP-Plus are custodial parents

• 13% of youth entering THP-Plus are non-custodial parents

Housing:What questions do the data raise?

• Is transition planning beginning early enough?

• What needs may a youth entering from homelessness present?

• What permanency efforts are underway for the remaining 95% of participants?

• What possibilities for permanence are there with relatives with which youth lived prior to entering?

• Less than 1 in 3 enter directly from foster care

• 1 in 5 youth enter directly from homelessness; 39% have experienced homelessness

• 5% of youth enter a host family

• 23% of youth enter THP-Plus from a housing setting where they were living with a relative free of rent

Education, Employment & Criminal Justice:What questions do the data raise?

• How do we structure rent in the first three months of THP-Plus?

• What options for subsidized employment exist?

• Is 24 months enough time for youth to be economically prepared?

• Are staff members trained in sealing juvenile records?

• 27% of youth enter with no income

• 55% of youth enter unemployed

• Over 1 in 3 youth enter “disconnected”: neither employed nor in school

• 17% of entering youth were formerly involved with juvenile probation

Parenting & Older Youth:What questions do the data raise?

• How are programs meeting the needs of older youth?

• Are programs equipped to serve homeless families?

• Are programs assisting parents with accessing affordable child care?

• Older youth more likely to have experienced homelessness and be custodial parent

• Custodial parents are more likely to have experienced homelessness

• Custodial parents less like likely to be employed or attending school

More analysis to be conducted…

Questions you can answer about your program:• What is the average wage gain?• Many additional questions can be answered

on provider and county levels

• Consider developing policy internship for MSW, MPP and PhD students in your area

• JBF is available to help with technical details of data export process

• 2010 policy brief will analyze entrance to exit outcomes

Questions or comments?

Enter questions on your screen now by clicking the “Question and Answer” arrow, typing your question, and clicking “Send.”

Or direct later questions or comments to:

Amy LemleyJohn Burton Foundation

(415) 693-1322amy@johnburtonfoundation.org

Michele ByrnesJohn Burton Foundation

(415) 693-1323michele@johnburtonfoundation.org