ユースたちが協働して、グローバルな児童福祉の変革を目指す。
̶ IFCA ユースプロジェクトのミッション

Through collaboration, young people unite toimprove child welfare at a global level.
̶ Mission of the IFCA Alumni Project

Youth  Publication
Winter 2022

特集｜SPECIAL ISSUE

ユース・アドボカシー
Youth Advocacy

VOL .

8

The Impacts of COVID-19 on Foster Care Alumni:
Data from the two surveys conducted in the US and Japan
Kathryn Goldfarb Ph.D. University of Colorado Boulder

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities of the20% of respondents reported being entirely alone. Half who applied forworld’s most under-served people. Current and former wards of theunemployment benefits did not receive them, and over half of foster

state—any state—are undeniably described by that category. Child wel-care alums reported that they did not receive a governmental stimulus

fare advocacy organizations have conducted their own research during

check. *2

the pandemic, attempting to grasp its impact on their constituents.
The IFCA-Japan team, comprised of youth from care and professional

The Japanese IFCA team ended their report with concrete policy rec-team members including academics, collected data on the impacts ofommendations, which are also relevant to the North American context.

COVID-19 on youth from care. It is useful to juxtapose data collected

The two most central were: Governmental support should be focusedby FosterClub, an Oregon-based American national advocacy and re-on meeting the needs of individuals in diverse circumstances, rather

search organization for young people in and from foster care. Acrossthan assuming affiliation with a supportive family. Second, the childthese data sets, commonalities of experience center on loss of employ-welfare system must do better at helping young people cultivate lasting

ment, food and housing insecurity, enormous burdens on mental andconnections to supportive adults, and not just adults who are alreadyphysical health, and difficulty obtaining governmental support.

their caregivers. IFCA emphasized the necessity of better supportingand following young people after they leave care, and the importance

The Japanese IFCA survey, which opened late May 2020 and closedof mental health care. Their final recommendation was to promote au-

mid-June 2020, collected responses from 425 former state wards from

thentic engagement from state wards to shape welfare policy.

across the country (reporting from 39 out of 47 total prefectures) withan average age of 23. The survey results paint a picture of youth fromCOVID-19 laid bare fault lines across the world. Even in the best ofcare living in deeply insecure circumstances that preceded and weretimes, alumni of welfare systems are profoundly invisible. The worst of

exacerbated by the pandemic. Even before the pandemic, only 25%

times invite creative thinking about how societies might better support

had full-time jobs; over 50% had been working part-time or contract

relationships and a social safety net for people who need them most.

jobs, and about 12% were unemployed. After COVID-19 hit, 35% reported having unstable income, 29% reported significant reduction*1 IFCA Project C. 2020. Shingata korona no kansen kakudai ni yoru anata no seikatsu hein income, and 5% were laid off. One in five respondents reported

no eikyō ni tsuite no kinkyū chōsa (Emergency survey on the effect of the Coronavirusthat they currently had no money. About 20% of respondents werepandemic on your life).

facing food insecurity, with 4% reporting that they had no food at all.

*2 FosterClub. 2020. The Impact of COVID-19 on Youth from Foster Care: A National Poll.

Twenty-two percent were concerned they would lose their housing.
The qualitative responses illustrated profound anxiety, depression, andisolation, difficulty in accessing medical and social services, and a lackof social support. Many of these young people have no one to turn tofor help. The Japanese government distributed COVID-19 cash benefits
to households, rather than individuals. Former state wards tend to havestrained or absent relationships with their families of origin, and many
did not receive governmental support during the pandemic. *1
Despite systemic differences from the Japanese child welfare system,
American and Japanese data highlight the same fault lines and vulnerabilities. FosterClub’s survey, conducted in early May of 2020, captured
results from 613 respondents from 44 states between the ages of 18 and24, who had spent an average of seven years in care. Thirty-six percent
of respondents had been laid off once COVID-19 hit. Almost one in five
respondents reported they had entirely run out of food; more than halfreported food insecurity and concern that they did not have enoughto eat. Twenty-three percent of respondents were concerned about
their housing stability, an insecurity exacerbated by university dorms
forcing students to leave. Around 18% were insecure in their ability toobtain medical care, because they either lacked health insurance, werehaving trouble obtaining care, were going without needed medication,or did not have internet to do telehealth appointments. Approximately

FosterClub COVID-19 の影響：全国調査のポスター

31

翻訳Translation

リンジー・アンダーソン／岡田志保／粟津美穂

Lindsay Anderson, Shiho Okada, Miho Awazu

デザイン

Design山﨑将弘

Masahiro Yamasaki

表紙画

Cover Illustration

粟津潔「鳥たちとテレビ」

Kiyoshi Awazu The Birds and a Television（金沢２１世紀美術館 所蔵）(Kanazawa 21st Century Museum Collection)

IFCA 東京事務所

IFCA Seattle Office〒 151-0063 東京都渋谷区富ヶ谷 1-33-6-202

6542 4th Ave. NW, Seattle, WA, 98117 USA

080-9288-3533

888-447-IFCA[4322]

このブックレットは、日本財団の助成により発行のはこThis booklet publication was made possible byびとなりました。2014 年より、IFCA ユースたちの年間

the generous support of the Nippon Founda-

を通じた全国ネットワーク、および地域チームの活動をtion which supported IFCA Youth Project's local

ご支援くださり、まことにありがとうございます。

and national network programs since 2014.

この冊子の中の記事は、TOMODACHIイニシアチブ

Many reports in this booklet were written basedのパートナーシップのもとに実現した、２０１９年の来日

on the overseas programs conducted under the

プロジェクトと２０２０年の渡米プロジェクトに基づいた

partnership between the TOMODACHI Initiative

ユースたちの貴重な記録です。

and IFCA.

この２つの団体、そして、編集・出版にかかわったみなWe would like to express our sincere gratitude

さまに、心より感謝申し上げます。

for the continued support by these two organizations and for those who were involved in thepublication process of this issue.

BACK ISSUESIFCA ユースパブリケーション・ バックナンバーについてBack Issues of “ Youth Publication ” by IFCA Alumni ProjectVol.1 Spring 2013

創刊号・社会的養護からの自立｜ Aging Out of Foster Care

Vol.2 Fall 2014

日米ユースの協働の意味｜ Collaboration Between the US and Japan Youth Teams

Vol.3 Winter 2015 / 2016

IFCA の来日・渡米プログラムを通じて｜ Through IFCA’s International Exchange Programs

Vol.4 Spring / Summer 2016

掲載記事：社会的養護当事者からの要望書｜ A Request from Foster Care Concerned Parties

Vol.5 Spring / Summer 2017

特集：社会的養護における当事者参画｜ Special Issue: Youth Engagement and Foster Care

Vol.6 Spring / Summer 2018

特集：ノーマルシーと社会的養護｜ Special Issue: Normalcy and Foster Care

Vol.7 Winter 2019/2020

特集：私たちの移行期のストーリー｜ Special Issue: Our Transition Stories

１号と２号はホームページの「出版物の紹介」ページから、自由にダウンロードできます。
他号は１冊５００円から１０００円で販売しています。
冊子のダウンロードとお求めはこちらから → https://ifcajapan.org/publications/index.php
For the above back issues, please contact IFCA at info@ifcaseattle.org