The socioeconomic outcomes of sexual minority youth who have aged-out of foster care in California

Background: Little is known about the adjustment of sexual minority youth as they “age-out” of foster care and begin living independently. Existing data is particularly limited for young people after they turn age 21. Objective: The present study aims to address this gap by examining key socioeconomic outcomes of sexual minority youth and their heterosexual peers following their exit from the California foster care system. Participants and setting: We used representative survey data from four waves of the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study (CalYOUTH), which followed young people at ages 17, 19, 21, and 23. Methods: Bivariate statistics and logistic regression analyses were used to examine youths' educational, vocational, financial, and housing outcomes at age 23, controlling for a range of covariates that can explain the differences attributed to sexual orientation. Results: Of those youth who provided information on their sexual orientation (n = 541), about half identified as sexual minority at least once, while the rest consistently identified as heterosexual across all four waves. Bivariate analyses revealed that sexual minority youth had lower rates of current employment, and higher rates of public food assistance, economic hardship, and homelessness at age 23. In multivariate analyses, the higher risk of homelessness (OR = 2.40, p = .01) and economic hardship (OR = 3.25, p < .001) among sexual minority youth remained significant after controlling for child welfare factors, demographics, and other covariates. Conclusion: Sexual minority youth may experience increased socioeconomic disadvantage as they transition from foster care to independent adulthood. Implications and directions for future research will be discussed.