Employment

Statistics on employment outcomes for kids who are in and age out of foster care in California:

Employment rate: In 2021-22, 53% of foster youth students who were 24 years old or older were employed compared to a rate of 73% for non-foster adults.

Average monthly earnings: At age 24, average monthly earnings for youth who age out of foster care who worked are $690 in California, compared to $1,535 for youth nationally.

Unemployment rate: In 2019-20, 16% of foster youth students who were 24 years old or older were unemployed compared to a rate of 5% for non-foster adults.

Homelessness rate: In 2019-20, 34% of foster youth students who were 24 years old or older were experiencing homelessness compared to a rate of 15% for non-foster adults.

References

California Department of Social Services: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/
California Department of Education: https://www.cde.ca.gov/
Learning Policy Institute: https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/
FosterClub: https://fosterclub.org/
First Place for Youth: https://www.firstplaceforyouth.org/

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