Adult education programs equip out-of-school foster youth with skills and training for high school equivalency, postsecondary education and better jobs. David C. Ribar, Thomas Goldring, Daphne Greenberg, and Elizabeth Tighe analyzed data from Georgia’s public adult education system (July 2017 – June 2023), comparing young adult learners under 24, both with and without foster care backgrounds.
They found that young adult learners with foster care backgrounds often enter with less formal schooling and lower skills. They also confront more barriers to employment and are more likely to be single parents and to experience homelessness. These challenges suggest a need for intensive, tailored interventions. Addressing specific barriers like homelessness and single parenthood, as prioritized by our Foster Youth initiative, could enhance support services’ impact. Coordinating program streams to address these issues could significantly enhance the impact of support services for former foster youth.
