Public Shelter Admission among Young Adults with Child Welfare Histories by Type of Service and Type of Exit

This study examines the prevalence and associated factors of New York City public shelter use among young adults with histories of out-of-home care or nonplacement preventive services as teenagers. The study finds that 19 percent of former child welfare service users entered public shelters within 10 years of exit from child welfare. Persons with out-of-home placement histories are twice as likely to enter public shelters (22 percent) as those who received nonplacement preventive services only (11 percent). Persons exiting child welfare through absconding from child welfare have the highest rate of shelter use, followed by those discharged to independent living. Comments Copyright The University of Chicago Press. Reprinted from Social Service Review, Volume 78, June 2004, pages 284-303. This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/penniur_papers/7 Social Service Review ( June 2004). 2004 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 0037-7961/2004/7802-0005$10.00 Public Shelter Admission among Young Adults with Child Welfare Histories by Type of Service and Type