This study explores the perceptions of former and current foster youth, who either graduated from a post-secondary institution, enrolled in college or a vocational training, in order to identify the factors that contributed to their post-secondary education enrollment. Sixteen participants provided information about their personal experience with post-secondary education enrollment via personal interview and self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was used to compare responses on the self-administered questionnaire. Constant comparative analysis method was used to analyze interview data and code it into themes or codes. This study’s findings show that the majority of the participants enrolled in college because they were mainly motivated by individual factors, secondly relationship factors and thirdly systemic factors. Specifically, college gave them hope for the future and it was a personal goal. Some also reported the influence, motivation, and support of peers, caregivers, mentors, certain high school and college programs, like AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)) and EOPS (Extended Opportunity Program Services). Of utmost need to them is a hands-on-support which includes assistance with college application completion, college class registration, preparation for placement tests and college tours which they noted they did not get enough of. This study’s findings are vital for preparing foster youth for post-secondary education as the study provides needed insights on the necessary services, policy and programs.

This study investigated whether the presence of a supportive adult in the life of a youth transitioning out of foster care impacts the likelihood that the youth experiences homelessness, teenage pregnancy, drug or alcohol addiction, or incarceration in San Bernardino County. Understanding the impact of a supportive adult, or mentor, on youth transitioning from foster care to independence would allow the social workers to more strategically plan for a successful exit from state care. This study will use public data collected from the federally mandated survey for the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD). Data was analyzed to determine if a correlation exists between having a supportive adult and the four aforementioned negative outcomes. The results showed that the four negative consequences examined occurred less frequently with individuals who identified as having a supportive adult in their lives. However, the differences demonstrated by the data were not statistically significant. Further research needs to examine the effect of mentoring on youth transitioning out of foster care.

Not all children live with their biological parents. In 2013, approximately 60,000 children in California were in foster care. These children comprise a significant subgroup of students in public schools today and are one of the most educationally vulnerable student populations. Often they are, as a group but with individual exceptions, low-performing. Parents’ involvement has often been credited with improving school achievement. Foster parents, therefore, play an important role in ensuring the academic success of foster care children. Foster parents encourage, provide emotional support and guidance to these children and advocate on their behalf. The purpose of this study was to explore how foster parents perceived the educational experience of children in foster care. A qualitative research approach utilized an interview process to explore the participants’ perceptions and generate recommendations for developing a more effective educational system. The study sample consisted of eight foster parents, recruited by snowball sampling, with experience working with school-age children in foster care. Face-to-face interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed for analysis. The purpose of this study was to explore foster parents’ perceptions and identify important issues that they believed contribute to the academic successes and failures of children in foster care. Findings were analyzed to generate recommendations for developing a more inclusive educational system. The data was examined in relation to two theoretical frameworks; Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Foster parents reported that they believed they participated in the foster child's academic achievement. They did not believe that they were always supported to fully assist the foster children to achieve their full potential. Foster parents perceived two-way collaboration as imperative when addressing the educational needs of children in foster care. While they believed that they were efficient in yielding results to help children in foster care become academically successful, foster parents also believed that changes need to occur within the foster care system that would enable them to be more efficient and effective. This research study brought light to the complex dynamics of foster parent responsibilities and educational decision-making. Those dynamics included lack of adequate and sufficient training offered to teachers and foster parents regarding the education of children in foster care; the lack of foster parent knowledge regarding district-mandated foster parent liaisons and factors that inhibit foster parent collaboration. All findings have implications for the foster care system. However, the conclusions are limited to only foster parents’ reports. Information was not gathered from other stakeholders, such as foster children, social workers, teachers and those within the foster care legal system.

There has been a great deal of research published on foster youth’s perspectives regarding their relationships with foster parents, their experiences within the foster care system, and their longing for their biological parents. Limited research exists on foster parents’ experiences with the foster care system. More recently, foster parents have been asked to engage in the concurrent planning process, in which social workers work towards reunifying foster youth with their biological families, while at the same time planning for long-term, alternative placement in case reunification is not possible. The child welfare system depends on foster parents to care for and possibly be a long-term permanent placement for foster youth, yet we have little knowledge of foster parents’ experiences with concurrent planning and whether it impacts the foster parents’ ability to bond with foster youth. This is a quantitative study, which uses survey questionnaires developed by the researcher to explore foster parents’ experiences with concurrent planning and their self-reported experiences with bonding to foster youth. The survey was sent to 107 licensed foster parents at two Southern California foster family agencies using Qualtrics. The results of the survey questionnaires were documented in Qualtrics and a statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS Version 2.1. The foster parent participants in this study reported a range of experiences related to concurrent planning. Some reported receiving explicit training on the process from their social workers, while others received little to no information on concurrent planning. The study found a strong, positive correlation between the level of training and education participants received and their overall perceptions of the concurrent planning process. The study also explored relationship between the age of the foster child and the placement status of the foster child with the foster parent’s reported bonding to the child. The study found a small, positive correlation between the age of the child and the foster parents’ reported bonding. Similarly, the study’s findings suggest that foster parents with permanent placement youth report slightly higher levels of bonding with the youth than those with family reunification cases; however, this finding was not statistically significantly. This study’s findings suggest the need for more research regarding foster parents’ experiences working with concurrent planning and with the child welfare system in general. This study suggests that factors such as foster parent experiences, as well as foster youths’ characteristics, may play a role in bonding between foster parents and foster youth. These factors should be further explored to provide the best chance for children to develop strong, lasting relationships with their foster parents that may lead to permanency. Understanding foster parents’ experiences may provide insight on the kinds of support, education, and training child welfare agencies should provide for foster parents who serve as such crucial resources for the child welfare system and the children it serves.

Foster parents are often not equipped to address the difficulties and challenges they face with their foster children. Research has identified the importance of providing foster children with a safe and secure environment. Guided by the theory of adoption and attachment, the purpose of this study was to identify the differences between foster parents who continue with foster child placements and those who do not by examining their perceptions of foster parenting behaviors and their foster parent/child relationships. Participants were recruited using online foster parent forums and foster care agencies. A total of 31 foster parents participated: 13 licensed and 18 not-licensed. The 45-item Parent Behavior Scale (PBS) was used to measure parenting behaviors. The 15-item Child Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) was used to measure perceived caregiver-child relationships. A MANOVA revealed significant relational differences between the groups. Foster parents who continued to foster children perceived their relationships with their foster child more positively and supportive than did those who did not continue to foster children. No significant differences in parenting behaviors between the groups were identified. Notably, a relationship was found between foster parents' perception of their relationship with their foster children and the combined parenting behavior scales of positive parenting, rules, monitoring, and punishment. These findings can contribute to positive social change in identifying relational factors important to placement longevity. Foster parents trained to meet the challenges are more likely to continue to foster children and provide a safe and secure environment in which foster children can thrive.

U.S. Child Protective Services Agencies (CPSA) have had mixed success in achieving stable, permanent placements for foster care children. To address the adverse effects of unstable placements on foster care children's emotional well-being and physical development, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 was enacted to better ensure permanency, safety, and well-being of children in foster care. Using Stone's policy paradox as the framework, the purpose of this qualitative document analysis was to explore whether policy constructs contributed to the success or failure of promoting permanency for foster care children. Data was used from 2 states, representing those most and least successful in terms of decreasing foster care populations during federal fiscal years 2011 to 2014. Data for this study consisted of publicly available documents, including statues, policies, and official publications. These data were analyzed using an inductive coding approach and then subjected to a content analysis procedure. Key findings indicated the states differed in 3 critical policy areas: incentives to achieve progress towards reunification; facts used to change behaviors among policy actors to achieve the goal of recruiting adoptive and foster care parents; power in terms of how authority was delegated to service providers. The findings of this research may enhance policymakers' and advocates' knowledge of policy issues critical to achieving permanency for children. It is recommended that future policy changes focus on the needs of the children and the alignment of statutes, policies, and publications so they promote adequate incentives, utilization of factual information, and consistent policy interpretation at the federal and local levels.

Many youth exit the United States foster care system each year and face challenges related to housing, employment, health care, and education. After emancipation, foster youth can experience family instability, educational disruption, incarceration, unemployment, unstable housing, and emotional problems at a much higher rate than youth in the general population. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the experiences of African American foster women and the social support they received in finding housing upon exiting foster care system. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory provided a conceptual framework of social interrelation for the study. Data were collected from a purposeful sample of 4 African American former foster care women, a foster parent, a social worker, and a director of a support service's programs through face-to-face interviews. Data were analyzed using a 5-step approach for coding and analysis. Key findings were that the mobilization of collaborative social network support from foster parents, social workers, and government officials before foster youth enters their transitional phase were keys to successful outcomes. According to the foster care women and supporting adults' reports, more collaboration among agencies may assist youth with transitioning to independent living. Additionally, one-on-one mentorship program could address housing, education, employment, and health plans prior to emancipation. This study contributes to social change by providing information to those who provide services to foster care youth and may lead to enhanced programs and services encouraging youth to pursue their goals, and promote economic self-sufficiency.

Abstract The purpose of this action research study was to investigate social workers' perceptions of the problems that prevent successful family reunifications after foster care. The study explored social workers' perceptions of barriers that prevent family reunifications in central Mississippi. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory as the framework, the research question explored the problem from multiple levels of practice including family, individual, institutional, and community. The focus group approach aligned with the project goal by allowing participants opportunities to share experiences and perspectives regarding family reunifications. The study used a purposive sample of 10 participants who were practicing licensed social workers or certified mental health professionals in central Mississippi. Focus group responses were transcribed and coded by defining categories, assigning labels, and classifying relevant information using the comparative method. The key results of the study included that family reunification was impeded by the lack of training of child welfare social workers and limited resources to address psychosocial issues. The recommendations of the study included improving practice by engaging in mental health screening for foster children and families, promoting current knowledge and interventions by addressing psychosocial issues, and participating in program evaluation by targeting and strengthening policies. The impact of this study for positive social change includes understanding critical issues of family reunification after foster care stemming from lack of resources, unstable placements, and mental health issues.

Previous research has indicated that approximately 25% of the 30,000 youths emancipated from foster care each year experience negative outcomes including poor education attainment, limited employment opportunities, homelessness, lack of access to healthcare, and poor social networks. Despite the existence of federal legislation that requires foster care agencies to assist foster youths to make the transition to independent living, research has revealed that the current transitional planning process is not effective. There is a gap in the current literature regarding qualitative research on youths' shared experiences of the transitional planning process as they transit out of foster care. This study examined youths' experiences with the transitional planning process and the degree to which the plan mitigated homelessness after emancipation. The study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach. Participants were 10 youths age 18 to 21 who emancipated from the Department of Human Services, Children and Youth in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, foster care system within the past 3 years. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants and semistructured interviews were used collect the data. Social capital theory was used to guide the study. Data were inductively analyzed with management assistance from NVivo software. Results indicated that participants experienced challenges during transition in housing, education attainment, employment, physical or mental health, and finding mentors and continuing support. Participants offered suggestions for improving the transition planning process. Findings from this study can be used to enhance social change initiatives by providing insight into what youths need to better prepare them for independent living.

There is a demonstrated association between children's negative behaviors, placement disruption, and foster parents' attachment style in early childhood; however, there is an absence of research examining this relation among foster children in middle childhood. Researchers have found that in early childhood, children respond more favorably to foster parents with a secure attachment style, while greater placement disruption is associated with foster parents having an insecure attachment style. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between foster children's negative behaviors, placement disruption in foster children during middle childhood, and foster parents' attachment style. Bowlby's and Ainsworth's attachment theory was the theoretical framework of this quantitative study. Thirty-six foster parent-child dyads from 2 foster care organizations in Texas formed the convenience sample. Participants completed the Behavior Assessment System for Children, the Parent Rating Scale (predictor variable), the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (moderator variable), and a postbaseline telephone call (criterion variable). The results of a binary logistic regression analysis indicated that children's negative behavior was not significantly related to placement disruption. A moderated regression analysis was not conducted to test if foster parents' attachment style had a moderating effect between children's negative behavior and placement disruption due to the low number of respondents in the insecure style. These findings provide insight into the influence of foster parents' attachment style to children's behaviors. Social change implications could promote attachment theory in the development of training programs for foster parents which may help increase placement stability.