National Youth in Transition Database Survey (NYTD)
The Center for Child Well-Being has contracted with the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) to administer Arizona’s NYTD survey since 2019. The Center’s NYTD team actively collaborates with the DCS Young Adult Program to create Arizona-specific questions for each survey wave that are in addition to the federally required questions. Information gathered through the NYTD Survey is used to inform service delivery for transition-age young people in out-of-home care. CCWB publishes yearly reports and infographics.
What is NYTD?
The National Youth in Transition Database is a federal effort to track the outcomes of youth transitioning to adulthood without legal permanency from state child welfare agencies. Once every three years, youth in out-of-home care are interviewed at age 17. A sample of those youth are interviewed again at age 19 and 21.
A Brief Background of NYTD
- Legislation: The NYTD was authorized by the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Act of 1999, which aimed to improve outcomes for youth transitioning from foster care.
- Administration for Children and Families (ACF): The ACF published the final rule for NYTD on February 26, 2008, which mandated the two data collection activities.
- Implementation: Data collection began in the final reporting period from October 1, 2010, through March 31, 2011, and the first full dataset was submitted in May 2011.
- Survey design: The outcome component involves a longitudinal survey administered to cohorts of youth at ages 17, 19, and 21 to gather information on their well-being, education, and financial independence.
- Significance: NYTD marked the first time that client voices were included in a national reporting system for tracking the outcomes of youth transitioning out of the child welfare system.
Who can participate?
Young people who turn 17 between October 1st and September 30th who are in foster care in Arizona during a baseline survey year, are eligible to participate in the NYTD survey.
A sample of those who participate at age 17 are surveyed again at ages 19 and 21. This random sample is created by the Children’s Bureau and transmitted to DCS.
Why it matters
NYTD is an opportunity for young people to have a voice in helping us understand what is happening in their lives as they transition from foster care to adulthood. Through compiling the outcomes of foster youth during these crucial years, decision-makers are able to more adequately meet the unique needs of this population.
Connect with us:
See the NYTD AZ website to learn more!