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In Georgia, there are high rates of instability in foster care, and each time a child changes placement, his or her support networks are gone until he or she can rebuild them. The purpose of this case study was to explore if current stakeholders provide effective support and assistance to professionals and others who assist foster students with their educational needs. This case study used a conceptual framework based on Rankism, in which students move up and down the rungs of the ladder of their social system. Data were collected via interviews with a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) worker, a Department Division of Family and Child Services (DFCS) caseworker, a former foster parent, a teacher, a school social worker, a school administrator, and a school counselor, all of whom were involved with foster children. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then open coded using constant comparative analysis. Findings revealed a need for greater support, and illuminated the repercussions that may occur when students are moved from their homes and/or schools: They may lose their support networks, community supports, school supports, and recognition they had previously until these are rebuilt in their new placement. The major themes that emerged were (a) a need for data sharing, (b) effect of trauma on children, and (c) the need for improved educational advocacy. These findings, along with a review of the literature, led to the development of a policy change recommendation and the creation of a data system to enable collaboration amongst all agencies. The project that emerged was the creation of a data system that affords real-time transfer of educational records, allowing for appropriate educational plans to be put in place.

Children enter the Child Welfare System for a variety of complex reasons. These reasons often point towards parents’ inability to provide appropriate protection and safety for their children. After removal, many children are placed in foster homes of relatives, non-related extended family members, group homes, and county or private foster homes. A child who is removed from their original home is likely to experience difficulties in the areas of attachment with caregivers and other adults throughout their development. This study examined the attachment styles of 37 foster and adoptive parents in three separate private Foster Family Agencies in both San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Foster and adoptive parents were assessed through the Relationship Questionnaire through a tool, which examined each parent’s level of attachment security. The perspectives of foster and adoptive parents on their child’s relational attachments were assessed through The Behavioral Assessment System of Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) across seven subsets (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004).

The following is a quantitative study, with a convenience sample of 117 adults, ranging in age from 18-73, to gather information about the public’s perspective towards extended foster care (EFC) and emerging adulthood. Topics varied from when foster youth should emancipate to when emerging adult children should move out of their parents’ homes. There is very little literature regarding the topic of EFC, which could impact the sustainability of this program as its objective is to help emerging adults transition more successfully into adulthood and out of the child welfare system. An online survey was created through Qualtrics with 25 questions. The link to the survey was distributed through text message and the social media website, Facebook. The results showed that the participants appear to believe that foster youth should stop receiving services at the age of 18 and emancipate out of care at the age of 21while also suggesting that emerging adults, not in foster care, should be self-sufficient and moved out of their parents’ home by the age of 23. These views could be due to the lack of awareness of the general population regarding the reality of the impact abuse, neglect, and life in the child welfare system can have on a developing child. Furthermore, the implication for the future of EFC is that foster youth may need continued assistance until the age of 23, perhaps in the form of housing vouchers as opposed to financial assistance.

Foster and adoptive parents are crucial in the child welfare system, with the large number of foster children in the system at any time. Same-sex foster and adoptive homes are underrepresented in the child welfare system, despite the shortage and need for more certified foster and adoptive homes. There are limited studies documenting the experiences of gay and lesbian foster and adoptive parents. Some research has demonstrated that "non-traditional," or same-sex couples are met with more obstacles to become certified foster and adoptive parents, in comparison to their heterosexual counterparts. This qualitative study explores the experiences of same-sex foster and adoptive parents during the certification process. The findings suggest that social workers need to gain more knowledge regarding the values and practices of same-sex families, provide resources specific to same-sex family challenges, be sensitive to the unique circumstances of same-sex families, and most importantly, treat same-sex couples equally during the foster and adoptive certification process. Further research is needed looking at the areas of Family Court and judges' rulings, as well as social workers' perceptions in working with same-sex foster and adoptive parents.

The purpose of this study was to examine child welfare social workers’ attitudes, awareness, and understanding of the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth while in out-of-home placement. This study used quantitative data collection methods of social workers in three Southern California counties regarding these issues, and 27 such workers participated. It was found that only half of the child welfare social workers had received training on issues involving LGBTQ foster youth, but that the majority of those workers who received training were interested in learning more about the topic. It was also found that many workers had family, fiends, or colleagues who belonged to the LGBTQ community, and that this personal connection reduced the endorsement of heterocentristic views. Political orientation was also influential with liberal social workers being less inclined to endorse the idea that the world’s inhabitants should be heterosexual. The results found that many social workers either had none or were not aware of the presence of any LGBTQ foster youth on their caseloads. This was explained with a combination of the worker not enquiring or feeling that it was not appropriate to do so. Of those who indicated that they were aware of such youth, all stated that the youth shared their identities after being asked about it or after some time had passed in working with them. Also, those who acknowledged the presence of LGBTQ youth were more cognizant of identity development issues of LGBTQ youth, were more liberal politically, and had friends in the LGBTQ community. The limitations, recommendations for social work practice, policy, and suggested further research is also discussed.

In this study, 10 former/current foster youth were interviewed about their foster care experiences by examining factors that contributed them from pursuing higher education and factors that may have influenced them from not pursuing higher education. Data collection occurred throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The results of the study found that there were four themes, which presented to be factors that are influential in foster youth pursuing or not pursuing higher education. These themes are centered on the environment, support factors, the foster youths drive and types of services that they received while in foster care. The results of the study imply that there are significant barriers to foster youth pursuing higher education and there are influential factors that foster youth experience in pursuing higher education. This study recommends that there should be an expansion of the research conducted to continue to access which areas can influence foster youth to pursue higher education.

This researcher has chosen to conduct research that followed the positivist paradigm with researching effects of attachment and interventions in regards to foster parent and foster child relationships. This researcher has observed issues with attachment relationships in foster children from a foster parent’s perspective. The researcher has observed the methods of interventions used by the foster family agency in order to assist with the foster parent and foster child relationship. This researcher has followed a positivist paradigm and has tested the dependent variables of the foster child’s attachment and the interventions used within the agency to assist the foster parents. The independent variable measured is the foster parent in the foster family agency.

In the United States, foster youth graduate college at a lesser rate than non-foster youth counterparts. Thus, this study focused on factors that contribute to foster youth pursuing higher education. Qualitative data were collected through face-to-face interviews with nine participants consisting of social workers and educational liaisons employed by child protection agencies in Southern California. The data were analyzed and the following five themes were developed using content analysis: identified barriers, knowledge of services, guidance and support, collaboration, and educational liaisons assigned to Extended Foster Care clients. Study findings suggest that social workers and educational liaisons knowledge of educational programs varies and as a result there is an absence of consistency when referring foster youth to educational services and programs. The study also found that there was a lack of understanding about educational programs and other on campus resources, which highlights the need for increased collaboration amongst child protection agencies, schools, and universities. Last, findings suggest that this population would benefit from formal educational services beyond the age of eighteen.

The primary goal of this study was to explore whether individual resiliency factors measured by the Resilience Scale (RS) influence academic success for Bermudian foster care adolescents, a population previously unstudied in the literature. Academic vulnerability is a concern for foster care adolescents, and more empirical studies need to be conducted to increase understanding of the variables that affect academic success for this population. Resiliency is a conceptual framework based on a positive developmental focus. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the relationship between resilience and academic success among 51 Bermudian foster care adolescents who attended Bermuda public schools. Achievement scores and grade point average (GPA) were used to ascertain participants' levels of academic success. This study employed a nonexperimental correlational design using a multiple regression to analyze the relationships. Results revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between resiliency and reading achievement but no relationship between resiliency and GPA and resiliency and math achievement. The finding of the positive relationship between resiliency and reading could influence policymakers to reexamine current education policies to stress the importance of ensuring that all at-risk adolescents identified in Bermuda Public Schools acquire adequate reading skills.