Publication Date
2022
Document Type
Article
Abstract
As a marginalized, under-resourced population, older youth with foster care experience are acutely vulnerable to the economic and social harms wrought by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study summarizes findings from an online survey deployed in April 2020 to learn about the experiences of current and former foster youth (ages 18 to 23) during one month of the COVID-19 crisis. Using purposive sampling and a cross-sectional design, the survey yielded a final analysis sample of 281 respondents from 32 states and 192 cities or districts. Findings underscore the pervasive negative impacts of COVID-19 on respondents’ housing/living situations, food security, employment, and financial stability. Chi-square tests and post-hoc analyses revealed demographic disparities in respondents’ experiences during COVID-19. Youth who aged out of care, cisgender females, non-straight youth, and non-white youth were significantly more likely than demographic counterparts to experience pandemic-related adversities. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Greeson, J. K. P., Gyourko, J. R., Jaffee, S., & Wasch, S. (2022). The experiences of older youth in and aged out of foster care during the COVID-19 pandemic: Material and financial well-being by foster care status, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and race. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 92(3), 334-348. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000615
