"I Just Want to Live My Life and be a Teenager": The Tension between Autonomy and Dependency for Adolescents in Foster Care

Background and Purpose: Adolescent development follows a natural trajectory, growing up in out-of-home placements can accelerate certain aspects of development while delaying others, leaving youth unprepared to navigate the foster care system and the transition to adulthood. Institutional placements often limit opportunities for autonomy, as youth must adhere to strict rules, placement transitions, and external decision-making by caseworkers or the court system. This tension between forced maturity and restricted independence can create additional challenges, making it difficult for youth to develop a strong sense of self and effectively plan for their future

This paper explores how adolescents in the foster care system navigate a system that relies on dependency, especially when many of these youth have previously experienced or currently have a strong need and desire for independence. By examining the intersection of autonomy and dependency, this study contributes to the field by addressing the gap in research regarding autonomy while still in care. It sheds light on the challenges these adolescents face in seeking independence and the ways in which the foster care system both supports and limits their ability to develop the skills necessary for self-sufficiency.

Methods: Twenty-eight de-identified Comprehensive Clinical Assessments (CCAs) from adolescents (ages 10–17) in foster care who reside in Crisis Stabilization Treatment Program (CSTP) homes were analyzed. The sample was mostly male (60.7%), female (32.1%), and transgender (7.1%) and primarily Black/African American (39.3%), White/Caucasian (32.1%), with some Multiracial (7.1%) and Unknown (21.4%) backgrounds. CCAs, written by social workers and randomly collected, detailed youth experiences before and during foster care, including trauma, mental health diagnoses, placement history, behavioral challenges, and education history. Data was thematically hand-coded using grounded theory and an inductive qualitative approach.

Findings: Data analysis reveals that adolescents in foster care often seek autonomy, with three key, interconnected themes emerging: Autonomous Behavior as the main theme, and two sub-themes, Personal Motivation and Systemic Barriers, offering insight into why this behavior occurs. These themes frequently overlap, reflecting the complex and non-linear experiences of youth in care.

Some CCAs observed that when adolescents perceive threats to their autonomy, it can trigger aggressive responses, often leading to placement instability. The data also shows a strong desire among these adolescents to engage in “normal” teenage experiences. However, the structure of foster care frequently disrupts this, creating ongoing tension between their pursuit of independence and the limitations of their environment, further fueling autonomous behavior. Findings indicate that placement instability contributes to a range of compounding challenges, including inconsistent education and disrupted social relationships.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings highlight the importance of foster care to intentionally create structures and environments that support adolescent autonomy and development. When denied this, they may feel powerless and assert control in ways that put them at odds with the very systems meant to support them.