How Can You Not Drive? YOU CAN! DRIVE!

Abstract

Background Youth in foster care acquire driver’s licenses less often as compared to non-foster care peers and this impacts their ability to fulfill adult responsibilities such as securing employment and housing. Current evidence lacks an emic description of the experience of young adults currently and formerly in foster care to get driver’s licenses to inform intervention development. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experience of acquiring a driver’s license by young adultswith foster care experience.   Methods The investigators specifically queriedthe phenomenon of attempting or getting a driver’s license drawing from the Phenomenology of Practice approach. Nine young adults with foster care experience were interviewed.Investigators extracted lived experience descriptions (LEDs) from interview transcripts, developed these as anecdotes and analyzed for phenomenological themes.   Findings Themes identified included perseverance, resource inequities, and restricted movement. The experience of driver license acquisition was markedby moments of crisis, risk, help seeking, and challenges doing the process alone.   Discussion There were four themes identified from interviews: making urgent situations harder, taking risks, lacking resources, and challenges doing the process alone. Resource inequities were notable and included limits to funding and support from others.   Application to practice Caregivers who integrate these findings into care delivery models will assess driver license acquisition as a developmental milestone that could impact inequity.             Caregivers who integrate these findings into care delivery models will assess driver license acquisition as a developmental milestone that could impact inequity.