The impact of independent living programs on foster youths' educational outcomes: A scoping review

Independent living programs (ILP) are designed to increase positive outcomes for foster youth aging out of care in the various aspects of life such as education, employment, and housing. The purpose of this scoping review is to assess the effectiveness of independent living programs on educational outcomes among youths aging out of the foster care system in United States. A literature search was conducted among databases and dissertation abstracts. Publication dates of studies were restricted to 2005 to 2018. Language was restricted to English. Eleven articles were included in this review. Thematic findings included constant placement changes impacted educational outcomes, housing considerations should be paired with education, acknowledging individual youth characteristics is important as well as encouraging youth to participate as early as possible. The implications for agency practices and policies are also discussed in the study.