Mentors in the Lives of Youth in Care

Background: Studies that investigated mentoring relationships among youth in foster care found that mentoring relationships were associated with better emotional, educational and behavioral outcomes in adulthood, and suggested that mentors have the potential to lead to better outcomes despite adversity. However, many questions remain concerning the identity of the mentors available to youth after leaving care,  and the effects they have on their lives in care and after emancipation. This study aimed to describe the relationships young adults who left care have with their mentors. It explored the type of social contexts to which the young adults' mentors belonged (family member, staff member, friends), and the duration of their relationships. Further, the study examined the subjective influence the mentor had on the adults' personal status and on their lives.

Methods: The sample included 140 young adults who were emancipated from youth villages- a common type of out-of-home setting in Israel. A semi-structured interview protocol was developed, consisting of open-ended questions about the care leavers' relationships with their mentors. Young adults were interviewed  over the phone and all interviews were recorded and transcribed. They were asked to describe a non-parental adult who was most meaningful to them, and describe the way they influenced their lives. Data analysis included both quantitative methods (e.g., descriptive analysis, frequency counts) and qualitative analysis (e.g., Thematic analysis, quantitative analysis).

 Results: Findings showed that two thirds of the mentors the youth indicated were males (N = 95; 67%). Overall, youth indicated mentors from various social contexts, including: residential care, extended family, informal and formal ties. Almost half of the mentors were within the care placement (N = 65, 47.44 %). The majority of the young adults knew their mentors for three years or more (N = 113; 80.43%).  Thematic analysis revealed two main themes  and eight subthemes that arose from the care leavers’ descriptions of their mentors: The first portrayed a present, accessible and supportive mentor. This mentor was mainly characterized as a loving and caring parental figure, a life coach who is also a confidant, who counsels youth from their own life experience and is perceived by them as a role model. The second main theme included a motivating and catalyzing mentor. This type of mentor helped youth to cope adaptively with life stressors, and leaded youth to aspire higher, achieve goals and change their behavioral and mental status for the better.

Conclusions and implications: The study emphasizes the contribution of mentoring relationships to the young adults’ resilience during the transition to adulthood. It highlights the integrative roles mentors play in care leavers’ lives, both as protective and promotive. One of the study's conclusion is that care placements should seek to integrate these components in their intervention planning and staff training. Implications for practice highlight the importance of promoting a "mentoring policy" within care settings, to enable youth to continue their relationships with their mentors during their challenging transition from care to independent living.