Voices of youth in foster care and special education regarding their educational experiences and transition to adulthood

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Abstract

Very little in-depth information is available on the educational and transition experiences, perceptions, and actions of youth in foster care who are receiving special education services. This paper describes a qualitative study that followed seven youth in foster care receiving special education services, ages 15 to 18, for six to nine months. The youth were interviewed an average of seven times and they were invited to take photographs and make journal entries depicting their lives. The findings documented the complex challenges that youth experience, including educational struggles, difficulty in clarifying their relationships with biological family, and having to make major decisions in the context of uncertainty and inadequate and sometimes restrictive supports and services. Having consistent and committed adult support, knowledge of options and services, and opportunities, skills, and confidence to take positive action toward goals emerged as important themes in the youth's success.

Highlights

► We conduct multiple interviews over several months with each participant. ► We examine participants' perceptions of services provided to youth in foster care. ► Youth in foster care suggest ways to improve provision of transition services. ► Youth in foster care face challenges in achieving educational success. ► Ties to biological family members are of great importance to youth in foster care.

Introduction

An estimated 410,625 children and youth are in foster care in the U.S. (Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System [AFCARS], preliminary report for 2010). Twenty-eight percent, or 108,432, of these youth are between the ages of 15 and 20 with only 2% of youth remaining in foster care after age 18. Although the total number of youth in foster care has decreased, the number of youth exiting care through emancipation or running away increased from 31,556 in 2006 to 32,840 in 2008 (AFCARS, preliminary estimates for 2006 and 2008). Approximately 40% to 47% of foster youth receive special education services (Geenen and Powers, 2007, Westat, Inc., 1991) and they are significantly more likely to be identified as having emotional disturbances and physical disabilities, as compared to non-foster youth (Stone, D'Andrade, & Austin, 2007).

Findings consistently document that youth in foster care have poor outcomes and face unique education and transition challenges (e.g., Courtney et al., 2005, Goerge et al., 2002, Pecora et al., 2003, Wolanin, T.R., 2005). While a large percentage of youth in foster care also receive special education services, limited research has been conducted on their outcomes. Available findings suggest that youth in foster care receiving special education services experience lower educational achievement (e.g., Geenen and Powers, 2006, Smithgall et al., 2005) and poorer transition outcomes (Anctil et al., 2007, Westat, Inc., 1991), compared to youth in foster care who do not receive special education services. While findings suggest that youth in foster care receiving special education services are at elevated risk for educational and transition problems, little information is available that clearly documents the nature of their experiences.

This paper reports the findings of an in-depth qualitative follow-along study of seven youth in foster care receiving special education services as they navigated their education and prepared for transition. The purpose of the study was to examine in detail these youth's experiences, perceptions, goals, and actions within the context of their changing life circumstances.

Section snippets

Background

High school completion or GED attainment among youth in foster care is estimated at 50% while the rate for youth in the general population is about 86% (Vacca, 2007), and Geenen and Powers (2006) found that youth in foster care receiving special education services had lower educational achievement than youth in foster care or special education alone. Of great concern, a study by Smithgall et al. (2005) revealed that only 16% of foster youth receiving special education services with a primary

Participants

The seven participants were recruited from a larger sample of 128 youth who were enrolled in Project Success, a randomized trial of the impact of a self-determination enhancement intervention on the educational success of youth in foster care and special education services (Powers, Geenen, & Fullerton, 2005; Institute of Educational Sciences, Grant # R324S060043). Eligibility for the parent study was defined by being in foster care and a freshman, sophomore, or junior in school, and receiving

Findings

The following narrative descriptions provide a glimpse into each youth's experiences, perceptions, goals and activities. They are by no means generalizable to other youth, but provide insights into how these youth perceive, make sense of, and react to their experiences in foster care, special education, and other life areas. Personally identifying information (names, specific places) has been changed to maintain confidentiality.

Discussion

This qualitative study gathered information from youth in foster care receiving special education services to better understand their experiences in both systems. The special education labels of youth in care likely represent the complexity and interaction of individual, family, and systems circumstances that together manifest in youth having problems that are judged to affect their learning. The youth who participated shared their thoughts on the education and transition process and related

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  • Cited by (46)

    • Transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities who experienced foster care: An ecological approach

      2020, Child Abuse and Neglect
      Citation Excerpt :

      When disability and foster care intersect the challenges faced during the transition to adulthood are multiplied. Youth who experience disability and foster care (YDFC) experience lower educational achievement and are at greater risk of poor adult outcomes than youth in foster care who do not have disabilities or receive special education services (Quest, Fullerton, Geenen, Powers, & The Research Consortium to Increase the Success of Youth in Foster Care, 2012). YDFC must navigate both the child welfare and special education systems.

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    The Research Consortium to Increase the Success of Youth in Foster Care is dedicated to experimentally identifying approaches that improve the outcomes of young people in foster care. Other members of the Research Consortium to Increase the Success of Youth in Foster Care who contributed to this paper were: Junghee Bae, Kelly Fisher, and Mariel Grimord-Isham, Regional Research Institute, Portland State University; May Nelson and Diane Drummond, Portland Public Schools; Larry Dalton, Multnomah County Department of Human Services; and Kevin George, Oregon Foster Care Program. Preparation of this manuscript was funded, in part, by grant # R324S060043 from the Institute of Educational Sciences.

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