Maximizing educational achievement of youth in foster care and alumni: Factors associated with success

The challenges faced by the United States and other countries with respect to education are particularly acute with respect to youth placed in out of home care and alumni of foster care. After describing the number of youth in foster care in the United States and recent research on their outcomes, this article will describe what factors have been linked with educational success for these youth and young adults. Strategies for improvement outlined in the article include pursuing permanency to help youth find enduring mentors, maximizing placement and school stability, conducting strengths-based assessment, aggressively pursuing educational supports, and treating mental health problems that may act as barriers to classroom success.