Employment Needs of Foster Youth in Illinois: Findings from the Midwest Study

Employment Needs of Foster Youth in Illinois: Findings from the Midwest Study

Far too many of the young people who age out of foster care in Illinois fare poorly in the labor market during their transition to adulthood. Since the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program was created in 1999, it has been providing states with funds to help foster youth making the transition to adulthood achieve self-sufficiency. A major purpose of the program is to ensure that youth who remain in foster care until age 18 or older “receive the education, training and services necessary to obtain employment.”