The National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) is a Federal reporting system created to track the independent living services states provide to youth and to collect outcomes information from youth transitioning out of foster care that may be used to assess states’ performance in operating their independent living programs. National NYTD data indicates that youth who transitioned out of foster care had less positive outcomes than other youth. This is also true in Pennsylvania: the 2022 Pennsylvania report on a sample of 19 year olds surveyed indicated:
- 21 percent had experienced homelessness
- 70 percent had a high school diploma or GED
- One percent had a vocational certificate
- 21 percent were employed full-time while 31 percent were employed part-time
- 45 percent were receiving housing, financial or food assistance and social security
- 13 percent experienced incarceration in the last two years
- 14 percent had a substance abuse referral
- 71 percent had a connection to an adult