A new Child Trends fact sheet, What Works for Older Youth During the Transition to Adulthood, examines the role that programs for older youth can play in promoting positive development and subsequent self-sufficiency in adulthood. It synthesizes the findings from 31 rigorous evaluations of programs; all of the programs evaluated youth outcomes during the transition to adulthood (ages 18 to 25), but programs varied in the ages of targeted youth. Among the findings:

Education and career programs can be effective, especially for low-income youth and for youth targeted from younger ages.

Specific intervention strategies, such as mentoring, case management, and providing child care for young parents, are associated with program success across youth outcomes.

Substance use and reproductive health programs have not consistently been found to be effective for this age group.