Every year in the United States, approximately 20,000 young people "age out" or emancipate from foster care.  The national statistics of homelessness, drug use, high risk behaviors and unemployment are sobering.  Information from other states as well underscores the need to strengthen independent living services for transitioning young people.

Ball State University's Social Science Research Center (SSRC) is working with Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (IFSSA), Division of Family and Children, to develop policies, plans, and programs to enhance independent living services for foster youths in the state of Indiana.  The SSRC, with input from Indiana's statewide Independent Living Steering Committee, determined that a telephone survey of current foster youths 14-18 years of age was one way of beginning to impact policies and help inform future programming efforts with input from those youths in foster care.  Giving voice to many of Indiana's young people impacted by the foster care system also fulfilled a strong recommendation of the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 (FCIA) and the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP).  The Chafee Foster Care Independence Program encouraged states to actively engage young people in decision making and provide an opportunity for young people to directly impact policy decision making at the state level.

The survey assisted with understanding the unique needs of Indiana's foster youths approaching emancipation, those young people aging out, and those younger teens that are likely to remain in foster care through their 18^th birthday.  Determination of skills the young people have acquired and by whom they were taught, along with what skills are lacking, will support the direction of enhancing the services offered to transitioning young people in Indiana. 

Telephone interviews were conducted in late 2002 with Chafee eligible youths who were 14-18 years of age and placed in foster care settings. Altogether, a total of 247 young people in foster care from more than 40 of the 92 counties in Indiana participated in the telephone survey. Placement settings included foster homes, group homes and child caring institutions.   Responses were analyzed for the sample as a whole as well as by type of placement setting and demographic characteristics of respondents.  In the survey, young people were asked questions pertaining to current living situation, employment, health care, housing, perceived obstacles upon leaving care, support services, basic skills training, post-emancipation plans, and essential connections/documents.  

The Indiana Independent Living Survey of Foster Youths gave valuable information and shed light on the many challenges that face emancipating foster youths.  Many efforts can be made to assist the transition as well as strengthen independent living programming efforts for youths prior to their "aging out" of foster care.  The responses of the 247 young people in foster care who participated in this survey should help inform policy and program development to enhance independent living services.

Analyses by respondent characteristics and type of placement setting, as well as recommendations for action may be found in the full report.

The Social Science Research Center is proud to be a part of a new initiative driven by the United Way of Delaware County.  We hope to support the United Way and their "Partners for Community Impact Project" by providing the latest data available for the current conditions of Delaware County.  As a community service, a preliminary report was created by the SSRC in May of 2003 highlighting six key areas which were identified by the United Way of America as measuring the quality of life at a national and state level.  The six key areas discussed in the report were:

• Economy and Financial Well Being
• Education
• Health
• Voluntarism/Charity/Civic Engagement
• Safety
• Natural Environment and Other Factors 

A more extensive report was created for the United Way of Delaware County in the Spring of 2004.  This report provides socio-economic-demographic data descriptive of the community and compares it to State and National data.

Delaware County Report May 2003

Delaware County Report Spring 2004