Extended foster care cannot help a young person who never learns it exists.

Among surveyed young people who did not participate, 44% said they were unaware of EFC or had not been told about it. At the same time, all 30 state and county child welfare professionals surveyed said caseworkers promote the program.

That disconnect is one of the clearest findings in “Creating Extended Foster Care that Works for All,” a 2026 national report shaped by young people who experienced foster care and the professionals who work with them.

The report draws on surveys and focus groups with 413 young people across 46 states. The child welfare professionals who participated represented 19 states. The research was conducted through Youth Voices Matter, a project of the National Collaborative for Transition-Age Youth.

The Collaborative brings together young people who experienced foster care, state and county child welfare leaders, advocates, the American Public Human Services Association, FosterClub and Youth Villages.

“I wish they would tell more youth about [extended foster care] and help them understand the benefits,” said Kathi, a young adult who participated in the research.

When a program exists but young people cannot use it

The findings make clear that EFC can help. The report found that 74% of respondents said it helped prepare them for adulthood. Financial assistance, housing and help with school or college were among the most common reasons young people enrolled.

The harder question is whether young people can find the program, understand it and stay connected when their circumstances change.

The difference between what professionals said they communicated and what young people recalled hearing does not necessarily mean no one mentioned EFC. It shows that a single conversation or a piece of paperwork may not be enough.

Among nonparticipants, 67% did not recall knowing about EFC before age 18. The report calls for beginning those conversations between ages 14 and 16, then returning to the subject as young people approach adulthood. They need time to understand what the program offers, ask questions and decide whether it is right for them.

Awareness is only the first test. Young people also need a fair chance to remain enrolled or return after leaving.

Designed for second chances

The path into adulthood is rarely predictable. A young adult may leave school, lose a job or need to move when a housing arrangement falls apart. Those setbacks do not erase the need for support.

The report recommends simple re-entry processes throughout the eligibility period. It also warns against ending services because someone temporarily falls out of school or work.

Housing and financial assistance should follow the young person rather than be tied to a single approved placement. That flexibility can allow someone to move for school or employment, live with roommates or leave a home that is no longer safe or stable.

But entering the program and receiving financial help are not the same as being prepared for what comes next.

Even while participating in extended foster care, 45% of young people surveyed reported gaps in essential life skills. Budgeting, cooking and time management were among the areas where they said they needed more help. Nearly one in four either said they did not feel supported or were unsure whether the program had supported them.

The recommendations include caseworkers trained to support young adults, hands-on help with everyday skills and steady relationships with mentors or other trusted adults. Young people facing more complex challenges may need more frequent contact and workers with smaller caseloads.

Housing and financial assistance can create breathing room. What happens during that time helps determine whether the stability lasts.

Oklahoma builds in a path back

On July 1, Oklahoma began Pathways to Launch, extending voluntary foster care services through age 21 for eligible young adults.

Participants may receive a monthly stipend, Medicaid coverage and continued help from a caseworker while attending school, working or taking part in workforce training. Eligible young adults who leave can opt back in before age 21.

The program also offers housing options outside traditional foster homes or shelters.

“We want to make sure they’re housed, and they have options,” Jennifer Boyer, administrator of Oklahoma’s Successful Adulthood Program, told Oklahoma Voice. “We don’t want this to look like typical foster care.”

Oklahoma officials estimated that about 150 young adults would participate during the program’s first year.

Re-entry and flexible housing are two design features identified in the national report. Both recognize that a young person may leave care, encounter a setback or need to move without losing the need for support.

Britany Binkowski, director of New Allies, advised Oklahoma Human Services on how other states had implemented EFC. She told Oklahoma Voice the state studied earlier rollouts to avoid mistakes made elsewhere. New Allies is the technical and consulting wing of Youth Villages.

Pathways to Launch is too new to be measured by its results. Its design assumes jobs, school and housing can change and that a young adult may need to return after leaving.

To learn more about the National Collaborative for Transition-Age Youth and its extended foster care resources, email tay@youthvillages.org.

What does EFC look like in your state?

The Collaborative also created an advocacy toolkit for young people, advocates and state leaders who want to look at how EFC works in their own state. Its state report card uses the findings from the research to examine whether programs are accessible and whether young people get meaningful support while they are enrolled.

Extending foster care beyond age 18 gives young people more time. The question for states is what that extra time actually looks like when school, work, housing or other plans change.

For more information on EFC support available from Youth Villages, email: strategic.partnerships@youthvillages.org.

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