Evaluation of the Independent Living-Employment Services Program, Kern County...

The John Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP) gives “states more funding and greater flexibility in providing support to youth making the transition to independent living” (p.iii). Funded under CFCIP and based on an encouragement model, the Independent Living-Employment Services Program offers one-on-one job search counseling to foster youths age 16 and older to improve employment outcomes and decrease future use of public assistance. In addition to job search counseling, "staff tried to build rapport with youth and help them build confidence in the employment interview setting" (p.ii). This evaluation used a random assignment process to determine the effects of the program on “perceived preparedness for various tasks associated with independent living, education and employment, and economic well-being” (p.v). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

Full publication title: Evaluation of the Independent Living-Employment Services Program, Kern County, California: Final Report

“The impact evaluation found no significant differences in employment or other key outcomes measured at the second follow-up interview between the program and control groups. Nor were longer-term program impacts identified using unemployment insurance wage records” (p.v). Although the lack of employment opportunities in the local economy and the existence of alternative community services for control group youth might explain the results, the authors conclude that the program’s light-touch approach might not effectively support foster youth. “This evaluation suggests that youth need to be actively engaged in activities associated with obtaining and maintaining employment beyond what the program provided” (p.vi). “Engagement efforts need to go beyond those provided by the IL-ES program. Future evaluation efforts should target programs that employ more aggressive strategies for engaging foster youth in employment services” (p.49). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2011
• Author(s): Courtney, Mark E.; Zinn, Andrew; Koralek, Robin; Bess, Roseana J.
• Organizational Author(s): Urban Institute; Chapin Hall, Univ. of Chicago; Ntl. Opinion Research Center, Univ. of Chicago
• Funding Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies