Foster youth become pregnant and parents at a much higher rate than their non-foster youth peers as well. By age 19, foster youth are more than twice as likely to have experienced at least one pregnancy in comparison to the general population, and the trend holds true at age 21. Foster youth also become parents at more than twice the rate of their peers. By age 19, 23 percent of foster youth reported having at least one child, and that rate increases to more than 50 percent by age 21.

Teen parenthood is particularly challenging for transition age foster youth (18-24), who often lack the essential supports and resources needed to be a parent. Using a longitudinal assessment and key informant interview data, this investigation explored the characteristics and outcomes of parent and non-parent foster youth alumni of First Place for Youth’s My First Place program.