Table 1.

Descriptive Statistics of Foster Youth Making Transition to Adulthood

	Total (N = 728)		Males (n = 352)		Females (n = 376)

	# or mean	% or s.d.	# or mean	% or s.d.	# or mean	% or s.d.	χ² ^**
Social bond variables
Institutional bonds
Enrolled in school	598	82.1	291	82.7	307	81.6	0.1
Employed	255	35.0	113	32.1	142	37.8	3.5
College aspirations	518	71.2	237	67.3	281	74.7	5.0
Likely to ask CWS for help	386	53.0	178	50.6			1.6
Mean # independent living services (0–47)	13.6	12.0	14.2	12.1	13.0	11.9
Relational bonds
Mean closeness to bio or step-mother (1–4)	2.67	1.19	2.65	1.2	2.69	1.2	6.1
No biological or step mother	87	12.0	53	15.1	34	9.0	6.2^*
Mean closeness to bio or step-father (1–4)	2.12	1.18	2.12	1.2	2.11	1.2	5.3
No biological or step father	159	21.8	88	25.0	71	18.9	4.0^*
Mean closeness to substitute caregiver (1–4)	3.03	1.17	3.10	1.1	2.95	1.2	6.4
Mean social support (0–100)	73.2	22.8	72.2	22.4	74.1	23.1
Control variables
Demographic
African American	415	57.0	196	55.7	219	58.2	0.49
White	225	30.9	114	32.4	111	29.5	0.70
Other race	88	12.1	42	11.9	46	12.2	0.16
Mean age at wave 1 (17–18)	17.9	0.3	17.9	0.3	17.9	0.4
Child maltreatment
Mean # Physical abuse (0–7)	1.06	1.71	1.02	1.7	1.10	1.7
Mean # Neglect (0–9)	1.74	2.06	1.65	2.0	1.84	2.1
Any sexual abuse	219	30.1	51	14.5	168	44.7	78.8^***
Child welfare
Age at entry (0–16)	10.7	4.0	10.5	4.0	10.9	4.1
Total # placements (1–42)	5.82	5.9	6.36	6.4	5.31	5.4
Last type of placement
Foster care	261	35.9	127	36.1	134	35.6	0.01
Kinship care	223	30.6	102	29.0	121	32.2	0.9
Group care	130	17.9	74	21.0	56	14.9	4.7^*
Independent living	63	8.7	25	7.1	38	10.1	2.1
Additional risks
Teen parent	101	13.9	25	7.1	76	20.2	31.8^***
Prior arrest	373	51.2	219	61.9	155	41.2	33.3^***
Any psychiatric diagnosis	166	22.8	46	13.1	120	31.9	36.7^***
Any alcohol or substance abuse diagnosis	143	19.6	81	23.0	62	16.5	4.9^*
State
Illinois	471	64.7	216	61.4	255	67.8	6.1^*
Iowa	62	8.5	27	7.7	35	9.3	3.2
Wisconsin	195	26.8	109	31.0	86	22.9	0.6

Note. For all categorical variables, the frequency (#) and percentage are provided; for all count or scale variables, the mean and standard deviation (s.d.) are provided.

p < .05.

^**

p < .01.

^***

p < .001.