Listening to Advice from Young People in Foster Care—From Participation to Belonging

Marit Larsen,Øivin Christiansen,Marte Fylkesnes,Stine Lehmann,Karen Havnen

doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcab138

Marit Larsen, Øivin Christiansen + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcab138

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Abstract

AbstractEnsuring that young people in foster care receive the support they need at the right time, is a pressing issue across health- and social services. In this study, we aim to broaden the knowledge base on what constitutes appropriate help and support from the perspective of young people in long-term foster care in Norway. As part of a larger survey, young people in foster care (N = 178) aged eleven to eighteen years provided written accounts on the open-ended question: ‘What advice would you give adults who help young people living in foster care?’. We conducted a systematic content analysis to identify themes and categories across the data. Four main themes were identified: enable participation; build trusting relationships; ensure appropriate follow-up; and cultivate belonging. Participation served as a pivoting point across the themes, as a prerequisite for young people in care to receive the services they need and develop a positive self-relationship. Our findings indicate that services must be tailored to recognise how the strengths and needs of young people in foster care change over time and differ across individuals. Developing practice tools that enhance young people’s participation is therefore paramount, as social workers, foster parents and other adults are crucial to processes of well-being and belonging.

Highlights

Young people in foster care are often considered as vulnerable group
Even though it has helped other foster children to not meet their family it does not mean that it has helped me (Boy, fifteen years). This participant urged helpers to emphasise the young person’s view when making best interest decisions. This is in line with a pattern we identified across the data-set, as participation served as a prerequisite for trusting relationships, appropriate follow-up and belonging
Our analysis is supported by previous research emphasising that young people want to participate in matters that are important to them, a sense of belonging in the foster home and in the birth family, to access health care and be given opportunities for success in life

Summary

Introduction

Young people in foster care are often considered as vulnerable group. We analyse open-ended responses from young people asked to provide advice to the adults mandated to help them in their trajectory through care. Foster care is the preferred option for long-term out-of-home care in Norway, as in the other Nordic countries (Skivenes and Søvig, 2016). Child welfare services (CWS) are responsible for the implementation of foster care and mandated to continually monitor and follow-up foster care placements (The Child Welfare Act, 1992). The term ‘follow-up’ refers to a range of different child welfare practices that aim to identify unmet needs and put appropriate measures into effect; for example, mediating conflicts in the foster home, referring the child and/or foster parents to counselling, initiating interagency collaboration and regulating contact with the child’s birth family. A supervision officer is assigned to independently assess the placement through regular visits to the foster home and conversations with the child

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