Illinois foster youth who become ineligible for government-funded services as they age out of the child welfare system face steep challenges on the road to adulthood, according to Chapin Hall's "Midwest Evaluation of Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth."

Making it on your own isn't easy -- but children aging out of foster care have it especially tough. They are more likely than their peers to face mental health and substance abuse problems, sexually transmitted diseases, involvement with the juvenile justice system and difficulty completing high school. These are among the first findings from Chapin Hall's longitudinal study of youth aging out of foster care.

Foster care failures often make grim headlines. Foster care successes sometimes emerge as personal stories of success against the odds. But not nearly enough is known about which elements of the foster care experience help or hinder children. Cecilia Garcia reports on a new study that looks to 'graduates' of foster care for direction on improving the system.

If foster children in general are a population at risk, youth aging out of the foster care system may be even more so. Child Trends charts the trends in foster care, racial and ethnic disparities among the foster care population and characteristics of children in and leaving the system. This research brief also offers program and policy options for reducing the numbers and supporting youth of all ages.

As many as 17 states have implemented programs to help youth in foster care earn college degrees through tuition waivers, scholarships and other assistance. The Casey Family Programs National Center for Resource Family Support has a comprehensive listing of resources.

The Center for Women Policy Studies reports that the District of Columbia and 49 states count postsecondary education as a work activity under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare program. Despite this, recipients' college participation rates have plummeted compared with their non-welfare counterparts. Read this December 2002 analysis of TANF implementation statutes.

The mainstream press has greeted the new movie, Antwone Fisher, about a young man wrestling with his past as an abused foster child, with mostly favorable reviews. How does it play with those who have themselves grown up in the foster care system? Kendra Hurley of Foster Care Youth United finds out.

Nearly 20,000 teens leave the foster care system each year. Even the most motivated kids can leave the system unprepared: without jobs, stable homes, savings or people they can count on. This article from the National Housing Institute examines the challenges these teens face and programs that can help.

This organization focuses on expanding the network of support groups and other resources offered to foster parents.

Parents whose children are in foster care, resource families caring for these children and teens in foster care can often use help in navigating the complexities of the child welfare system. Here are handbooks to help birth parents, foster parents and youth in foster care.