Foster care
Foster care youth are less likely to graduate from high school than their peers in the general population (Gypen et al., 2017). Those who are able to attain a high school diploma often find struggles when it comes to higher education. Foster care youth who enroll in college are twice as likely to drop out in their first year compared to their peers in the general population (Gypen et al., 2017). They are also less likely to complete 2-year degrees, and those who do make it to a 4-year university are more likely to drop out after 2 years (Gypen et al., 2017). This can then impact their ability to find employment as they are less likely to find stable employment once they exit the foster care system (Gypen et al., 2017). Although around 80% of former foster youth do find employment within 2 years of leaving the system, most of these jobs are part time and often require little skill or minimal pay (Dworsky, 2005). This then impacts their earnings, as they are more likely to earn less than non-foster care youth, and are more likely to live in poverty due to the low earnings (Gypen et al., 2017). When it comes to housing, the low earnings and lack of support then makes foster care youth more likely to experience unstable housing situations and, in some cases, homelessness. Around 28% of former foster care youth can secure their own place, while around .3% end up homeless, and most of the transitional youth end up in some sort of supported household (i.e. extended relative, foster parent, friend) (Gypen et al., 2017).