Perspectives of Parents and Service Providers about Experiences Aging out of Foster Care While Parenting

Introduction: Prevalence data of pregnancy and early childbearing for youth aging out of foster care indicate that current and former foster youth get pregnant and become parents at rates two to three times higher than their non-foster youth peers. In addition, repeat pregnancies among young mothers aging out of foster care are common; approximately 30% of teen mothers gave birth a second time before age 20.

Purpose: The purpose of this poster is to present findings from separate small group interviews with parents aging out and their service providers regarding (1) day-to-day experiences of parents aging out, (2) parents’ strengths, and (3) parents’ needs.

Methodology: Data were collected from both parents aging out of foster care (n =15) as well as service providers (n = 14) who work with this population. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured, small group interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is an approach useful for “identifying and analysing patterns in qualitative data” (Clarke & Braun, 2013, p. 120), and was therefore well-suited for addressing our research questions. The process of thematic analysis was guided by the six phases set forth by Braun and Clarke (2006): familiarization of the data, initial code generation, searching for themes, reviewing the themes, defining and naming the themes, and producing the report.

Findings: Thematic analysis revealed three themes: adversity and stress, resilience and motivation, and the need for mentoring and parenting skills. First, findings indicated that experiences for parents aging out largely equates to an overwhelming, stressful environment as they navigate parenthood largely alone without support or role models. Second, despite chaotic lives, providers and parents aging out felt that parents demonstrated strengths through their motivation to parent and resilience. Providers and parents alike perceived having a child as a source of new opportunity. Third, both providers and parents aging out expressed that parents need and desire mentorship and parenting skills. Parents expressed feelings of isolation because they exited the child welfare system and lacked support systems. Parents and providers also expressed feelings of insecurity about parents’ parenting skills.
Despite similar themes arising from participants, provider and parent distinct perspectives are noteworthy and a central contribution of this study. Parents expressed hope and optimism in providing for their children while providers expressed systemic failure in preparing parents aging out for independent living. Parents recognized their stressful environments, but also felt that they were living and parenting successfully, particularly relative to the environments in which they were raised. Providers, alternatively, expressed that despite parents’ intentions of being good parents, scare resources and extreme disadvantage often resulted in parents failing to achieve that goal.

Conclusion: The transition period of aging out provides an excellent opportunity to intervene with parents and assist them with reaching their goal of becoming a “good parent” and creating healthy families. Through connecting parents with resources, strengthening their social networks, and developing their parenting skills, the life trajectories of the parents as well as their children may be positively transformed.