Promoting Civic Engagement Among Foster Care Alumni

Background: This qualitative study describes processes and outcomes experienced by foster youth leaders (President, etc.) of local youth advisory boards (YABs) in a northeastern state. Since YABs operate in the civic sphere and pursue initiatives that are activist- or service-oriented, YAB is conceptualized as a form of civic engagement. Engagement, in turn, is capable of producing empowering processes and outcomes. To the extent that empowerment cultivates more control over one’s life, empowering initiatives like YAB may be useful to moderate the negative effects of aging out.

 Method: A cross-sectional, inductive study was employed to elicit the depth of YAB experiences. Data collection included in-depth interviewing and survey research with YAB leaders (n=14) and adult facilitators (n=4). To further triangulate, the PI conducted five non-participant observations of YAB meetings. Regarding the recruitment of YAB leaders (the primary sample): A purposive technique was utilized. A recruitment flyer was emailed to every YAB facilitator in the state. That flyer was distributed to qualified leaders (per IRB agreement, 18+ years old). In turn, 14 leaders expressed a desire to participate (ten were female, four were male; their average age was 19.7; the majority self-identified as Black). The PI interviewed leaders in-person at the time and location of their choice. Interviews lasted 45-60 minutes and were transcribed by the PI. All leaders received $25. The interview questionnaire was created with methodological and subject matter experts. It was guided by the exploration of dimensions of empowerment. Directed content analysis of interviews was conducted via ATLAS.ti. Descriptive survey data was tabulated using SPSS. Field notes of observations contextualized interview findings.

Results: Analysis of the data revealed six transcendent themes: 1) Dichotomy of Engagement: Service and activism were discussed and approached in silo, even though both are dimensions of civic engagement; 2) YAB is Family: data analysis of interviews and observations confirmed that YAB is a primary source of social support for leader; 3) Positional Leadership: Leaders were apt to note the distinction between the caliber of their relationships with adults (perceived as collegial) and the perceived relationships of regular members to adults (perceived as formal). Survey data suggest adult facilitators do not share the same sentiment; 4)  Opportunity through Access: Leaders discussed perceptions of access to, and opportunity derived from, the focal state’s child welfare agency; 5) Positive Conceptions of State: Leaders perceived the state agency positively, which may be attributed to personal connections acquired through YAB; 6) Participatory Competence: Leaders exclusively aspired to careers in the helping professions, which may be evidence of “empowerment as a developmental process.”

Conclusion: This study is not representative of all youth aging out of care, or even all youth in the focal state. Qualitative research is context-bound. These themes present the essence of civic engagement for leaders in this study. Future research must explore processes and outcomes allied with the intersection of civic engagement and aging out with larger samples and validated survey instruments.