Abstract
Children of families involved with child welfare services are considered high-risk and are vulnerable to developing problems in a number of domains. In particular, educational achievement among this population tends to be lower relative to general population peers. The goal of this qualitative study was to understand the educational aspirations and subsequent pathways of young adults with former child welfare involvement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven young adults (mean age of 31 years) from Ontario, Canada about their educational aspirations in high school and factors that served as facilitators and obstacles to their achievement. The results indicate youth had high hopes and dreams for their future in high school. However, complex challenges impeded the realization of these dreams. Although all seven participants initiated post-secondary programs, only one reached successful completion. None of the young adults achieved the educational and occupational dreams they had in high school. Nevertheless, returning to school remains a prominent future goal for most participants. Despite significant challenges and unrealized educational aspirations, youth with child welfare experiences continue to place high value on education in inspiring hope and optimism for the future. Addressing barriers to educational achievement for youth with child welfare involvement remains an important focus to help educational aspirations become a reality.
Highlights
Worldwide, the attainment of post-secondary education is regarded as a marker of success, and efforts to help young people realize their educational aspirations abound
The current study aimed to address this need by interviewing a group of young adults with previous child welfare involvement about the long-term outcomes of their educational aspirations and eventual pathways taken ten years after leaving high school
This study contributes to the existing literature on youth with child welfare involvement by showcasing young adults’ educational and occupational aspirations and pathways ten years after high school
Summary
The attainment of post-secondary education is regarded as a marker of success, and efforts to help young people realize their educational aspirations abound. Children of families involved with child welfare services are considered a vulnerable population and educational achievement among this group tends to lag behind that of their peers. Given the overall higher return on human investment developed through higher education (Finnie, 2012), it seems more important than ever to understand the educational aspirations and eventual pathways of youth. The current study aimed to address this need by interviewing a group of young adults with previous child welfare involvement about the long-term outcomes of their educational aspirations and eventual pathways taken ten years after leaving high school. Children are placed in out-of-home care when child welfare authorities deem it is unsafe for them to remain in the family home. Great emphasis is placed on keeping children at home and supporting families to stay together, out-of-home placements are often necessary to ensure a child’s wellbeing (Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies [OACAS], 2021)
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