Summary: The few studies that have tracked the 20,000 youths who leave foster care each year expecting to live on their own have found that many face homelessness, employment instability, incarceration, and pregnancy. A substantial portion have not completed high school and depend on public assistance. The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Independent Living Program is intended to help foster care youths make the transition to living independently. State Independent Living Programs offer education and employment assistance; training in managing money, housekeeping, and personal hygiene; and supervised practice living. However, program administrators report that developing appropriate employment opportunities, providing supervised transitional housing, and providing opportunities to practice skills or enhance self-esteem have been difficult. Few evaluations link program objectives to outcomes, leaving questions about the effectiveness of current independent living services. Programs in California and Maryland have been designed to capture this information. GAO plans to explore these issues, including innovative strategies in the states and HHS' role in ensuring that performance measures are identified and implemented.
