Abstract
When the researcher began her internship with child welfare, she found a handful of social workers previously in foster care and had earned their Master of Social Work degree. This finding made the researcher wonder what factors positively attributed to achieving a higher education for foster care alumni. Current and former foster care recipients have a high prevalence of adverse outcomes such as homelessness, poverty, an incomplete high school degree, and mental health disorders. This survey study of foster care alumni explores how they became socially, economically, and educationally successful in their endeavors. The researcher for this study reached out to various organizations that serve former foster youth, including California State University Sacramento’s (CSU) Guardian Scholars program and the Title IV-E program’s current and former participants, San Joaquin County Child Protective Services employees and interns, and the California Association of School Social Workers (CASSW) members. Between these organizations, the survey flyer was sent to 2,595 people, not including individuals that helped with distribution. The survey received 31 responses, 26 of which were able to complete the survey. Data collection concluded on February 12th, 2023, and major findings themes include education, foster care, and psychosocial factors.