Foster youth are at increased risk of entering the justice system, particularly as they age out of foster care. The high prevalence of crime among foster youth has concerned practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. Given the public attention to address the disproportionate rates of juvenile justice system involvement among young people in foster care, this study focuses on the association of the new federal legislation for extending foster care to age 21 with foster youth’s juvenile justice system involvement. Drawing from 2006 to 2016 California state child welfare administrative data on individuals in care between their 16th and 18th birthdays (N = 69,140), this study (1) examines whether the extended care policy is associated with reduced juvenile justice system involvement and (2) compares juvenile justice system involvement between 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds during the periods before and after California implemented the extended care policy. The results show that youth approaching the age of majority in foster care were more likely to avoid juvenile justice system involvement after the state implemented the policy controlling for the general declining trend in delinquency petitions within the state, and that this was true for both age cohorts. These findings have national implications because in most states being transferred from the child welfare system to the juvenile justice system before reaching age 18 can result in later ineligibility for extended care available through Title IV-E benefits. Further implications and recommendations for professionals, researchers, and policymakers are provided.

寄养青年进入司法系统的风险增加，特别是当他们因失去寄养而长大。寄养青年中的高犯罪率引起了从业人员、研究人员和决策者的关注。鉴于公众关注解决青少年在寄养中的少年司法系统参与率不成比例的问题，本研究侧重于将寄养延长至 21 岁的新联邦立法与寄养青少年的少年司法系统参与之间的关联。绘制 2006 年至 2016 年加利福尼亚州儿童福利管理数据，关于 16 岁至 18 岁之间受照料的个人（N = 69,140)，本研究 (1) 检验延长护理政策是否与减少少年司法系统参与有关，(2) 比较 16 岁和 17 岁青少年在之前和之后期间的少年司法系统参与加州实施了延长护理政策。结果表明，在州实施控制州内犯罪请愿总体下降趋势的政策后，接近成年寄养年龄的青年更有可能避免少年司法系统参与，这对于两个年龄组都是如此. 这些发现具有全国意义，因为在大多数州，在 18 岁之前从儿童福利系统转移到少年司法系统可能会导致以后没有资格通过 Title IV-E 福利获得延长护理。为专业人士、研究人员和政策制定者提供了进一步的影响和建议。