Link to Webinar recording: Watch Here
Link to Handouts: Presentation
Research findings to date suggest that most young people approaching the age of majority in care take advantage of extended foster care, and that their stays in extended care are associated with improved outcomes in many aspects of well-being. However, extended care does not improve all outcomes of transition-age young people with care experience, and behavioral health outcomes appear to be particularly difficult to change for the better. These research findings have implications for policy and practice.
Drawing from a wealth of resources, including over a decade of research on the outcomes of youth following the expansion of foster care services in 2008, the voices of those who have experienced this transition firsthand, and the expertise of professionals in various fields, this webinar will summarize evidence on the influence of California’s approach to extended foster care on young adults’ involvement with the public child welfare system, the outcomes they experience during and after their stays in extended care, and offers a comprehensive exploration of Extended Foster Care and how it could look in the future.
Presenters:
Mark E. Courtney is the Co-Director of the Transition-Age Youth Research and Evaluation Hub in the School of Social Welfare at the University of California at Berkeley. He is also Samuel Deutsch Professor emeritus in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice at the University of Chicago. He was Principal Investigator for the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study (CalYOUTH). His current research focuses on the adult functioning of former foster children and evaluation of policies and services for youth transitioning to adulthood from foster care. Dr. Courtney received his Ph.D. and M.S.W. from the School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley. Before moving into academia, Professor Courtney worked for several years in various capacities providing group home care to abused and neglected adolescents. He has served as a consultant to the federal government, state departments of social services, local public and private child welfare agencies, and the philanthropic community.
Makayla James is a skilled human services speaker, trainer, coach, and an advocate for positive systemic change. She has held leadership roles involving human services policy advancement, curriculum development, and facilitation across all levels of government, including international, federal, state, and local systems. Her training is informed by and centered around the experiences of those who are living in the system and their definitions of best practice.
Parker Terese, M.S.W., is led by purpose, receiving zir Master’s of Social Work while also inspiring people to pursue higher education through mentorship, social media and public speaking. Parker has served those impacted by the foster care and juvenile justice systems since 2014, as a mentor for Court Appointed Special Advocates and the Educational Opportunity Program in San Bernardino, CA. Ze has worked to rebuild a youth-led chapter in San Bernardino County and champion legislative and policy change through zir role as an advocate and statewide policy coordinator for one of the leading youth-led organizations in California. Parker uses zir voice to train child welfare professionals on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, Extended Foster Care, and many other topics.