Work, Public Assistance, and the Transition to Adulthood Among Children Maltreated During Early Adolescence
Restricted (Penn State Only)
Author:
Caniglia, Michael
Graduate Program:
Sociology (MA)
Degree:
Master of Arts
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
January 13, 2022
Committee Members:
Sarah Anne Font, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Andrew Fenelon, Committee Member David Baker, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies Molly Martin, Committee Member
Keywords:
foster care transition to adulthood adolescence public assistance Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Abstract:
Children who spend time in foster care during late adolescence tend to experience worse wellbeing during the transition to adulthood than their peers who never entered the state’s care. However, little work has examined the role of foster care entrance during early adolescence or used comparable counterfactuals. By harnessing a statewide administrative dataset, this paper uses group-based multi-trajectory modeling to identify trajectories of earnings, employment, and public assistance receipt in adulthood among early-adolescent victims of maltreatment. Multinomial logistic regression compares outcomes for those who experienced foster care versus suspected victims who remained at home. Results suggest early adolescents placed in care do not face significantly different risks of experiencing disadvantaged trajectories compared to those who remain in the home following allegations of abuse. Fewer than one-in-four children attained an upwardly mobile economic trajectory. Findings suggest that children with CPS involvement in early adolescence face challenges achieving financial security but foster care does not exacerbate these difficulties.
