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Is anybody there? Informal supports accessed and sought by youth from foster care

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  • Rutman, Deborah
  • Hubberstey, Carol

Abstract

Young people's ‘ageing out’ of foster care has been described as stark and abrupt, in sharp contrast with the gradual process of transitioning to adulthood experienced by parented youth in the general population. Research has demonstrated that being supported during this transition is associated with a variety of health, social, and educational outcomes. The purpose of this article is to report former foster youths' perspectives on their informal supports, what difference these supports made for them, and what they believed would be useful in their transition to adulthood. Data came from semi-structured interviews with 43 former foster youth aged 19–26. Findings revealed that while approximately half the informants reported having support from family, most did not have family whom they regularly relied upon for emotional, practical and/or financial support. Further, while nearly all youths indicated that having support made a difference to them, many also noted that for daily living, they were on their own. The study's findings are an important reminder of the gulf existing between youth from care and parented youth in terms of their access to support during their journey to adulthood.

Suggested Citation

  • Rutman, Deborah & Hubberstey, Carol, 2016. "Is anybody there? Informal supports accessed and sought by youth from foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 21-27.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:63:y:2016:i:c:p:21-27
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.02.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Geenen, Sarah & Powers, Laurie E., 2007. ""Tomorrow is another problem": The experiences of youth in foster care during their transition into adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(8), pages 1085-1101, August.
    2. Courtney, Mark E. & Lee, JoAnn & Perez, Alfred, 2011. "Receipt of help acquiring life skills and predictors of help receipt among current and former foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 2442-2451.
    3. Hiles, Dominic & Moss, Duncan & Wright, John & Dallos, Rudi, 2013. "Young people's experience of social support during the process of leaving care: A review of the literature," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2059-2071.
    4. Singer, Erin Rebecca & Berzin, Stephanie Cosner & Hokanson, Kim, 2013. "Voices of former foster youth: Supportive relationships in the transition to adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2110-2117.
    5. Nesmith, Ande & Christophersen, Kaitlin, 2014. "Smoothing the transition to adulthood: Creating ongoing supportive relationships among foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 1-8.
    6. Avery, Rosemary J., 2010. "An examination of theory and promising practice for achieving permanency for teens before they age out of foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 399-408, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Stubbs, Alix & Baidawi, Susan & Mendes, Philip, 2023. "Young people transitioning from out-of-home care: their experience of informal support. A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    2. Williams-Butler, Abigail & Duron, Jacquelynn F. & Costantino, Amanda & Schmidt, Adam, 2020. "Relational permanence and the potential for delinquency among African American adolescents in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    3. Cassarino-Perez, Luciana & Crous, Gemma & Goemans, Anouk & Montserrat, Carme & Sarriera, Jorge Castellà, 2018. "From care to education and employment: A meta-analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 407-416.
    4. Ruff, Saralyn C. & Harrison, Kristi, 2020. "“Ask Me What I Want”: Community-based participatory research to explore transition-age foster Youth’s use of support services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit, 2020. "Social networks during the transition to adulthood from the perspective of Israeli care leavers and their social workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    6. Harder, Annemiek T. & Mann-Feder, Varda & Oterholm, Inger & Refaeli, Tehila, 2020. "Supporting transitions to adulthood for youth leaving care: Consensus based principles," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    7. Olson, Annika & Scherer, David G. & Cohen, Andrew L., 2017. "Decision-making skills of emerging adults aging out of foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 81-86.
    8. Paul, June C., 2020. "Exploring support for LGBTQ youth transitioning from foster care to emerging adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    9. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit & Melkman, Eran, 2024. "A comparative analysis of protective and promotive factors of at-risk youth in the community and in residential care settings in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    10. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Best, Jared I., 2019. "Understanding support network capacity during the transition from foster care: Youth-identified barriers, facilitators, and enhancement strategies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 220-230.
    11. Häggman-Laitila, Arja & Salokekkilä, Pirkko & Karki, Suyen, 2018. "Transition to adult life of young people leaving foster care: A qualitative systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 134-143.
    12. Karki, Suyen & Ryynänen, Olli-Pekka & Salokekkilä, Pirkko & Häggman-Laitila, Arja, 2023. "Bayesian analysis of the factors explaining the disruptive behaviour of care leavers: A retrospective document analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    13. Goyette, Martin & Blanchet, Alexandre & Esposito, Tonino & Delaye, Ashleigh, 2021. "The role of placement instability on employment and educational outcomes among adolescents leaving care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    14. Haddow, Sonal & Taylor, Emily P. & Schwannauer, Matthias, 2021. "Positive peer relationships, coping and resilience in young people in alternative care: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).

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