A Mixed Methods Study on Planned Endings in Mentoring Relationships with Teenagers Who Experienced Foster Care

Background: Mentoring holds the potential to meet many needs of youth with histories of out-of-home care. Research suggests, however, that roughly half of formal mentoring relationships end prematurely, and that these premature endings may cause harm. For youth who have experienced trauma and loss, the impact of a poor ending in a mentoring relationship may be even more detrimental. Less is known about the experience of intentional endings in time-limited mentoring programs, when youth know from the outset how long the relationship will last. The intent of this mixed methods study was to examine youth’s experiences of planned endings in a time-limited mentoring program for teenagers with a history of foster care.

Methods: Participants (N=42) were enrolled in the Fostering Healthy Futures for Teens (FHF-T) program, a 9-month mentoring intervention for adolescents in the early years of high school who have a history of out-of-home care. The majority of participants (85.7%) completed a project-designed quantitative survey immediately after the program ended about their relationship with their mentors and the ending process. A convenience sample of four participants was subsequently recruited to participate in qualitative interviews 1-2 years post-intervention to learn about their perceptions of their mentor and their experiences regarding program ending.  

Results: Strong attachment to mentors was evident in the youth’s surveys and qualitative interviews. In the quantitative survey, 44.4% of participants had the highest score possible on an 11-item measure of attachment to their mentors. In the qualitative interviews, participants spoke positively about their relationship with their mentor, describing them as “a friend,” “trustworthy,” and “helpful.” Upon ending the program, 65.7% reported that the program length was “just right,” while 34.3% felt it was “too short.” When asked, “Regardless of how you felt about having to end, how would you rate the goodbye process on a scale of 1 to 10” (1 being “negative,” and 10 being ”positive”), the average score was 8.58 (SD=1.68). Participants in the qualitative interviews described being sad about the ending, but also reflected that they did things with their mentor to prepare for the ending, and that ultimately ending was “okay because we accomplished something.” Participants described how the program continued to positively impact their education, relationships, and future orientation. All participants reported that they would participate in the program again.

Conclusions: This study suggests that while endings in a time-limited mentoring program can be sad, they do not have to be traumatic. Participants reported a strong emotional connection with their mentor, and although many youth reported sadness with ending the relationship, they reported a positive ending experience. In addition, two-thirds thought the program was the “right length.” These same themes were evident in the qualitative interviews, where participants highlighted their accomplishments during the program. Although youth in foster care are at heightened risk for harm if mentoring relationships end poorly, this study’s findings suggest that mentoring programs with planned, intentional endings are a promising option and merit continued investigation.