Foster Youth and the Workforce: Next Steps

Roughly half of all former foster youth in their early 20s are unemployed at any given time, a key reason why foster youth are more likely to slide into homelessness, welfare dependence or incarceration.

This policy brief argues that there is a real opportunity now to make headway in addressing the problem. In the brief, it lays out six achievable and low-cost recommendations that New York officials could take to connect more foster youth to the workforce and increase their chances of leading productive lives.

This brief also serves as a model for other cities and states working to increase opportunity for foster youth and alumni.