Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Social Work

Advisor

Dr. Debra Wilson

Abstract

AbstractIn the United States, African American children are disproportionately placed in foster care and experience a myriad of problems, including physical and emotional abuse. As a result, negative post-discharge outcomes are revealed in existing literature, such as substance abuse, unemployment, homelessness, sexual promiscuity, and mental health issues. The purpose of this generic qualitative inquiry was to explore the foster care experience from the perspective of African American foster care alumni. The goal was to understand why the decision is made not to extend foster care services, despite their ongoing needs for support and lack of preparation for adulthood. Ecological Systems Theory, person-in-environment, was the theoretical framework that guided this research. Virtual interviews were conducted to collect data from the 10 study participants, ages 18 to 25, who made the decision not to continue in foster care, despite the option to do so. GoToMeet.me was used to transcribe the interviews and Nvivo 12 was used to analyze the data, identify themes and patterns, and code the data. The results provided seven themes, phrases, and patterns that described the attitude and emotional vulnerability of this group. The themes that emerged in this research tended to include youth perceptions of trust in the services provided such as lack of inclusion in decisions that affected their well being, inconsistency of foster care system interventions and misinformation as well as self-doubt and lack of confidence in providing for self-post foster care. The findings suggest an ongoing need for emotional support, financial preparation, and other transitional living skills to improve adulthood readiness.

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