Texas Youth Permanency Study

Project Overview

The Texas Youth Permanency Study (TYPS) examined the long-term outcomes and opportunities of youth in the Texas Foster Care System. Specifically, the study sought to understand the quality of relationships developed by youth in care and identify factors that help youth sustain strong and supportive relationships when they exit out of foster care.

Relational permanency is defined as lasting, loving and accepting relationships with parental figures such as foster, adoptive and birth parents, as well as siblings, friends, extended family and dating partners. Enduring connections, emotional support and a sense of belonging are associated with increased social emotional wellbeing and resilience when former foster youth tackle the challenges of adulthood.

The Texas Youth Permanency Study (TYPS) was designed as a 5-year longitudinal study  following 500 foster youth who were 14–21 years old at time of recruitment. Participant recruitment occurred at participating child welfare courts across Texas. The recruitment window took place from July 2019–December 2020.

Data collection involved quarterly online surveys completed by all youth and in-depth annual interviews with a randomly selected subsample. After the initial survey at time of enrollment, youth were contacted every 3 months to update their information and complete quarterly mini-surveys (5–10 minutes), respectively more comprehensive annual surveys (20–30 minutes). Review our list of measures

Research Questions

1. How do foster care experiences in adolescence shape developmental outcomes (safety, education, health, life skills, vocation) in emerging adulthood?
2. To what extent do foster youth develop stable and nurturing relationships and sustain these relationships in emerging adulthood?
3. Does the legal outcome of the case (adoption, reunification, permanent legal guardianship or aging out of care) impact developmental outcomes and relational permanency in emerging adulthood?
4. How does relational permanency impact developmental outcomes during emerging adulthood?

Objectives

1. Design policies and services to enhance relational and physical permanency for youth
2. Honor youth voice and choice in their journey through the child welfare system
3. Use evidence to guide funding of what works for youth

This project was completed in 2022. Please contact the Principal Investigator with any questions.

---

TYPS 2022 Research Report

The Texas Permanency Study followed 197 youth in foster care to discover what helps them thrive in adulthood. Our final report shows that supporting better outcomes in emerging adulthood means:

• Prioritizing lasting connections with caring adults, peers, and community
• Providing an environment conducive to normal and developmentally appropriate social experiences
• Supporting the development of competency through experiential learning
• Increasing social emotional wellbeing through mental health services and sexual health and relationship education