Loss Experiences of Youth in Foster Care: The Need for a Grief-Informed Approach

Background and Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to explore the disenfranchised loss experiences of young adults who were formerly in or transitioning out of the child welfare system. This study builds on existing literature on grief and loss, youth development, and outcomes for youth in care, and aims to comprehensively examine disenfranchised loss experiences from a multi-systemic lens to better inform the child welfare system. The ultimate goal of this study is to provide recommendations to the child welfare system that center a grief-informed approach that could improve practice across the child welfare system and better inform policies to provide comprehensive and meaningful support to youth in care as opposed to causing more harm or exacerbating grief and loss experiences.

Methods:

This study draws from data collected during an exploratory study which centered youth's experiences in the child welfare system, utilizing a multiple case study design consisting of 18-21 years old who had aged out or were in the transitional phase of aging out of the child welfare system. Qualitative methods including case narratives and thematic analysis were utilized to capture the experiences of the participants in the study. Data collection took place over a 6-month period. Methods of data collection included 3 semi-structured interviews per participant, ranging from 60-90 minutes each over approximately a 1-month period.

Results:

The most prominent losses included loss of people, identity, agency, physical belongings and place. There were also several micro, meso and macro factors that exacerbated and compounded loss experiences of the youth in care resulting in further disenfranchisement of those losses; many of which could have been mitigated through more supportive and empathic service provision at various stages of the participants' time in care. Within the foster care system, youth often experienced dismissal and exclusion when it came to their case and their lives. They were often prevented from developing an understanding of what was happening that led to care, kept from having a say in major decisions around placements, had limited interactions with biological family members, and experienced the loss of belongings and place with each transition.These experiences were then compounded and exacerbated by existing policies and practices within child welfare settings where there was little to no acknowledgement or attention given to the various losses experienced by the youth.

Conclusions and Implications:

The findings of this study call attention to the need for change within policies and practices in child welfare settings that cause more harm to youth in care by exacerbating and compounding their grief and loss experiences. The losses identified throughout this study were met with varying levels of support ranging from non-existent and limited to extremely positive and impactful. Capturing these experiences has major implications for child welfare settings that could bring about meaningful change in child welfare policies, as well as direct service practice by centering a grief-informed approach to working with youth in care.