Higher Education Policy, Practice, and Research Recommendations: Insight and Advice from Former Foster Youth with Advanced Degrees in Social Work

Background and Purpose: Youth in foster care have historically had challenges in the area of education attainment. Many foster youths have gone on to become social workers based on their personal experiences in the child welfare system; however, this is anecdotal information and has not been empirically studied. This qualitative study surveyed those adults who left the foster care system and became social workers, having completed their Masters in Social Work (MSW) or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Work or equivalent. The goals of the current project were to: give voice to these former foster youth in what their lived experience has been to achieve their educational goals, why the individual chose the social work profession, what supports and services were available for them to achieve their social work career and educational goals, and their recommendations for policy, practice, and research. This is the first study that has explored the voices of these individual’s journeys from foster care to an educational institution and a career in social work. For the purpose of this presentation, we will focus on the policy, practice, and research recommendations data.

Methods: Fourteen in-depth structured interviews were conducted. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling. The researchers generated an initial list of prospective participants based upon research and practice experiences. Interviews were conducted using video conferencing. The average interview length was 90 minutes. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and coded using Nvivo12. Data analysis was guided by grounded theory and the principles of Braun and Clarke’s six-phase process to conduct thematic analysis.

Results: Participants were between the ages of 25 to 54. The sample was predominantly female (8 females, 5 males, and 1 participant who described himself as male, gay, and queer), single (7 single, 6 married, and 1 in a relationship), African Americans (10 African American, 1 African American/Native American, 1 Puerto Rican, 1 Bi-racial, and 1 mixed) with MSWs (9 MSW only, 3 MSW/PhD, 1 MSW/DSW, and 1 MSW/enrolled in a PhD program).

Themes from the participants for advice to high school foster youth, social workers serving transition age youth, and college administrators include: “give it a try,” mentorship, different pathways, uncertainty, consistency, listening, not taking events too seriously, resource management, lack of familial supports, identification process of foster youth at college institution, sense of connection/belonging, campus support, and extended housing emerged.

Themes from the participants related to gaps in policies, practice/services, and research included: increasing state’s funding, expanding age eligibility, car purchasing, resources, health care, support person/campus navigator programs, housing, counseling services, and lack of highlighting college success with foster youth.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings highlight the power of overall support including resource management and understanding the various pathways/trajectories and levels of uncertainty experienced by young people on their journeys to higher education. Implications include the need for academic and career coaches, mentorship, consistency, and additional individually tailored resources to support college attendance. Future research should explore former foster youth who choose other career paths.