Numerous intervention and prevention strategies contribute to—or detract from—young people’s ability to access and succeed in K-12 schooling when they are experiencing foster care, the juvenile justice system, or homelessness, a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds.

Based on a comprehensive review of research published between 2010 and 2024—including information from 400 relevant peer-reviewed articles and field-produced research reports, 10 federal clearinghouses, 20 interviews, and two focus groups—the report, A Landscape Scan of Research on the Education of Young People in the United States Who Experience Foster Care, Incarceration, and/ or Homelessness (93 pages, PDF), identified intervention and prevention strategies that support young people in these systems. Among the most effective were comprehensive wraparound services, such as individual tutoring; trauma-informed practices; staff training on student behavioral responses; and policies and practices promoting educational stability during system transitions. In addition, the report found that collaboration among schools, agencies, and families is essential, with research suggesting the need for personalized, context-specific support tailored to young people’s experiences.

However, the report’s authors found a lack of studies in federal clearinghouses focused on the academic experiences and successes of young people. Barriers included privacy concerns and bureaucratic obstacles, systemic and logistical challenges leading to incomplete and inaccurate datasets, and funding constraints that hindered researchers’ tracking of highly mobile populations.

The landscape scan highlights promising areas for future research, including intersectional and cross-disciplinary research to capture the complexity of student experiences; participatory research methods that engage young people directly; longitudinal studies tracking students over time; and prevention and intervention studies to identify effective early supports.

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