Perennial Factors Impacting Ffoster Care Placement Stability

Perspectives of Alumni of Foster Care Who Worked Directly with Children and Youths in Foster Care

Abstract

Many of the hundreds of thousands of children and youth in foster care face uncertainty about the stability of their foster homes, making foster care placement instability one of the dire challenges perennially faced by many children and youth in foster care. A trove of research studies utilized the perspectives of children or youth in foster care, foster parents, alumni of the foster care system, and child welfare professionals. However, there is no known study on foster care placement instability that primarily focused on the perspectives of alumni of foster care who also work(ed) directly with children/youths in foster care. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were employed in this study, resulting in interviews involving 12 alumni of foster care who had professional experience working directly with children/youths in foster care. A major theme and five sub-themes emerged from the data analysis of participants’ interview responses. The findings are relevant to understanding foster care placement instability from a lived and professional experiences standpoint as they are primarily based on the perspectives of individuals with foster care lived experiences who also have professional experiences working with children/youths in foster care. Research and practice recommendations have been offered.

Keywords: foster care; foster care placement stability; foster placement disruptions