Testing the ‘overburdening’ hypothesis: Do work and school attendance together place youth transitioning from care at risk for negative housing outcomes?

Youth aging out of the foster care system are often placed in the precarious position of both providing for themselves financially and securing their own housing at a young age. Many also choose to take on the difficult tasks of school attendance and work simultaneously during this challenging time in their lives. The current study tests the ‘overburdening’ hypothesis that examines whether taking on the demands of work and school at the same time could overwhelm and actually hinder the healthy development of youth as they transition from foster care. This question was addressed using longitudinal administrative data from 2913 youth enrolled in a transitional living program at a national nonprofit organization serving youth aging out of foster care in five states between October 2010 and July 2014. Random-intercept and lagged regression models were used to examine the association between school attendance, employment, and housing insecurity. Individually, both school attendance and employment placed youth at decreased risk for housing insecurity and little evidence emerged to support the ‘overburdening’ hypothesis. Results from lagged models suggest that the single best predictor of housing insecurity is a previous episode of housing insecurity. The evidence presented here suggests that for some youth, the decision to attend school and find employment may be a symptom, rather than a cause, of their housing insecurity. Results highlight the importance of practitioners' use of research evidence together with sound clinical judgment to support youth as they navigate the challenging developmental task of transitioning into adulthood.