The Transition-Age Youth Special Interest Group: The Establishment and Activities of a U.S.-Based Network of Child Welfare Researchers
This paper provides an overview of the history and current activities of a group of researchers focused on the experiences of young people who “age out” of foster care in the United States. These transition-age youth (TAY) often have intersecting marginalized identities, as youth of color, queer youth, and youth with disabilities are disproportionately represented in care. Members of the Transition-Age Youth Special Interest Group (TAY-SIG) conduct research in several key domains, many addressing the discrimination, trauma, and poverty experienced by the majority of TAY. We report on the cutting-edge research happening in these areas and highlight the gaps in the research that require urgent attention. Despite these gaps, we argue that research undertaken by TAY-SIG members has driven the field of TAY research forward in a variety of timely and important ways.
Authors
- Colleen C. Katz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6318-456X)
- Jennifer E. Blakeslee
- Judy Havlicek
- Justin S. Harty (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2770-6869)
- Nathanael J. Okpych (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5929-7716)
- Amy M. Salazar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5392-6275)
- Leah P. Cheatham
- Svetlana Shpiegel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3085-3843)
- Mark E. Courtney (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2880-388X)
- Michelle R. Munson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3415-8610)
- Jennifer M. Geiger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5726-3475)
- Heather N. Taussig (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7909-2988)
- Jenna Powers
- Amy Dworsky (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6538-8550)
- M. Sebrena Jackson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1628-172X)
- Royel M. Johnson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1640-9420)
Institutions
- Western Carolina University (US)
- University of Southern California (US)
- Portland State University (US)
- University of Denver (US)
- Washington State University Vancouver (US)
- University of Connecticut (US)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- University of Hartford (US)
- Montclair State University (US)
- University of Alabama (US)
- City University of New York (US)
- University of Illinois Chicago (US)
- Hunter College (US)
- Sherwin Williams (United States) (US)
- Arizona State University (US)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services
- Published
- 2025-10-24
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894251316394
- Primary Topic
- Child Welfare and Adoption
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00