UC Berkeley

Despite California having one of the largest youth populations in care, little research has examined the employment and earnings outcomes of TAY in this state. This brief summarizes data collected on the employment and earnings outcomes of TAY participating in the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood (CalYOUTH) Study to (a) develop an understanding of TAY employment and earnings outcomes in the context of California’s implementation of extended foster care (EFC), (b) compare employment rates and earnings of the CalYOUTH sample to those of same-age peers in California during the CalYOUTH study, and (c) inform the development of policies and programs supporting the economic selfsufficiency of TAY in California. CalYOUTH is a longitudinal evaluation of California’s EFC program authorized by the California Fostering Connections to Success Act (2010). Given that California is home to a substantial proportion of all U.S. young adults in foster care (Webster et al., 2023), these data have great potential to inform policy and programmatic efforts to support TAY’s economic well-being. Results from the current analysis suggest TAY are employed at significantly lower rates than youth in the general population, earn substantially less, and may experience gender and racial disparities in employment and earning outcomes. Taken together, our findings emphasize the need for greater and more sustained support as youth exit care and enter the workforce.