Former Foster Youth as Fathers: Risk and Protective Factors Predicting Father–Child Contact

• Author: Jennifer L. Hook,Mark E. Courtney
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12031
• Date: 01 October 2013
• Published date: 01 October 2013

JENNIFER L. HOOK University of Southern California

MARK E. COURTNEY University of Chicago∗

Former Foster Youth as Fathers: Risk and Protective

Factors Predicting Father – Child Contact

This study uses longitudinal data from the

Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of

Former Foster Youth to examine father – child

contact between fathers who aged out of foster

care and their children (N=287 children of

150 fathers). The authors examine the effect of

remaining in foster care after age 18 and f‌ind

that it is positively associated with father –child

contact when fathers are age 26. Some of this

relationship is explained by positive associa-

tions between remaining in care, employment,

and men’s coresidence with the child’s mother,

and a negative association with criminal con-

viction. Even among involved fathers, however,

criminal convictions and unemployment are

common. Findings suggest that extending care

from age 18 to 21 benef‌its young men, and

their children, when they become fathers. Child

welfare policies and practice should attend to

the needs of young men who become fathers,

before and after they exit care.

Department of Sociology, 3620 S. Vermont Avenue,

Kaprielian Hall 352, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2539

(hook@usc.edu).

∗School of Social Service Administration, 969 E. 60th Street

Chicago, IL 60637.

Key Words: fatherhood, child welfare, at-risk children and

families, social policy.

INTRODUCTION

About 30,000 youth ‘‘age out” of the state’s

care each year (U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services, 2010). Although some youth

do relatively well, many experience substantial

challenges, including early parenthood and

involvement with public systems after discharge

(Courtney, Hook, & Lee, 2012; Foster & Gifford,

2005; Osgood, Foster, & Courtney, 2010).

Recent research shows that by age 26, about half

of young men who aged out of care in Illinois,

Iowa, and Wisconsin are fathers compared to

only about one quarter of similarly aged men

interviewed in the National Longitudinal Study

of Adolescent Health (Add Health; Harris et al.,

2009). Of concern is that fathers who aged out

of care are less likely to be living with their

children. Less than half of fathers who aged out

of care live with at least one of their children

compared to over two-thirds of similarly aged

fathers surveyed in Add Health (Courtney et al.,

2011). Research shows that although some

parents fare relatively well for their age, over half

of resident children born to former foster youth

live with parents who could best be described

as struggling, and over half of nonresident

children have parents with substantial challenges

including involvement with the criminal justice

system (Courtney et al., 2012).

Although youth making the transition to

adulthood from foster care are a particular

focus of U.S. social policy (Courtney, 2009;

Family Relations 62 (October 2013): 571 – 583 571

DOI:10.1111/fare.12031