Factors Associated with Resilience Among Young Parents That Are in Foster Care: Findings from a Statewide Study

Background and Purpose: Research shows that youth in foster care that have children of their own experience unique challenges and needs when compared to non-parenting youth in care. However, there is a dearth of research examining resilience among these young parents. The Parenting Young People in Care (PYPIC) study by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) aimed to understand the resilience of young parents in foster care. PYPIC inquired: 1) What are the characteristics of parents who are in foster care? 2) What are their parenting experiences while in care? and 3) Which of these factors, if any, are associated with resiliency?

Methods: A single-point, cross-sectional survey was administered to 39 young parents in New Jersey who have experienced foster care. Univariate analyses were conducted to examine sociodemographic characteristics (age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, employment, education, and religion) and self-reported experiences (becoming a parent as a minor, having more than one child, experiencing homelessness as a parent, access to childcare, and fearing abuse or neglect allegations regarding their own children). Next, bivariate analyses (ANOVAs; independent t-tests) were used to examine whether youth characteristics and self-reported experiences were associated with youth’s perceived ability to bounce back or recover from stress, using the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Last, multivariable linear regression analysis was used to examine significant associations between self-reported experiences and BRS scores while controlling for youth characteristics.

Results: The average BRS score in the sample was 3.7 (SD = .63). In bivariate analyses, parenting youth in care who were non-White, parents as minors, had one child only, faced homelessness, feared child protection reporting, and were full-time employed scored lower on the BRS compared to their counterparts; however, differences were not statistically significant. Non-Hispanic parents (p < .05), heterosexual parents (p < .05), parents not actively enrolled in school (p ≤ .01), parents who were connected to resources (p ≤ .01), and religious parents (p = .06) scored higher on the BRS compared to parenting youth that were not. Multivariable linear regression analysis did not yield significant associations between self-reported experiences and BRS scores when controlling for youth characteristics. However, school enrollment, Hispanic ethnicity, and non-heterosexual identity remained significant or were partially (p < .10) associated with lower BRS scores compared to counterparts in each respective model.

Conclusion and implications: Based on the comparative literature, findings from this study suggest that parenting-youth in care may have a higher level of resilience than other groups of parents facing major life challenges. However, there is variation across groups: parenting youth who identified as ethnic or sexual minorities in this sample reported less resilience than their parenting peers. This suggests that adversities faced by young parents in care may be more challenging to overcome for these youth. Importantly, parents that were connected to the resources they needed were more resilient than those who lacked support. These insights can guide future research and programmatic planning, informing the design and implementation of child welfare strategies targeted at young parents in foster care.