Exploring the Factors Associated with Subjective Well-Being of Children in out-of-Home Care in South Korea

Background: In 2022, South Korea witnessed the emergence of over 3,000 children in need of protection, with approximately 60% of these children being placed in childcare facilities, group homes, or foster care, thus receiving out-of-home care. According to the United Nations, children subjected to child protection should be separated from their family only temporarily and for a short duration, and should be protected to maintain contacts in a manner that allows potential reunification. However, children in out-of-home care experience difficulties in forming attachments, psychosocial adaptation, and development due to the stress of separation from their family of origin and placement in out-of-home care environments. In this context, it is crucial to explore factors that enable children in out-of-home care to cope adequately, regain psychological adaptation, and undergo positive developmental processes. Currently, research on the subjective well-being(SWB) of children in out-of-home care in Korea is significantly lacking compared to other countries. According to studies in Korea, SWB is related to social support and relationships with family of origin, as well as factors such as gender, self-esteem, and resilience.

Overall, present study aims to comprehensively explore the factors affecting the SWB of children in out-of-home care, with a particular focus on social capital. For this purpose, we aim to investigate individual factors, including the three sub-components of resilience (control, positivity, and sociability) and social factors, including social support and interactions with the family of origin.

Method: Present study used data from the "2019 Youth Readiness for Independent Living Survey". Study participants include 431 adolescents aged 15 to 18, who interacted with their family of origin. Resilience(i.e., control, positivity, and sociability) was assessed using the YKRQ-27 scale(α=.870, .882, .859, respectively). Social support was measured by a total of six items(α=.910). The interaction with family of origin, that is, the frequency of contact and meeting were each measured on an 8-point scale. SWB was measured using a total of five items proposed by the OECD(α=.815). Analysis includes descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis(HRM).

Results: According to HRM, in the first step, males exhibited higher levels of SWB(β=.179, p<.001), and an increase in positivity was associated with an increase in SWB(β=.566, p<.001). Conversely, children in foster care showed lower levels of SWB(β=-.082, p<.05). In second step, social support(β=.173, p<.001) were associated with increased SWB. Meanwhile, the frequency of contact and meetings with family of origin was not significant.

Conclusions: Accordingly, positivity and social support were significant contributors to the SWB of children in out-of-home care. Therefore, it is imperative to explore a variety of resources and programs aimed at enhancing the 'positivity' aspect of resilience in children under out-of-home care, while simultaneously implementing diverse interventions and efforts to increase the level of social support. However, the relationship with the family of origin should not only consider increasing the quantity of interactions but also seek interventions that improve the quality of these interactions. Additionally, these findings suggest the need for gender-specific explorations and individualized approaches towards children in out-of-home care.