There are many systemic and financial barriers to providing permanency to youth in foster care. To supplement the substantial body of qualitative, journal-based research about the needs of transition-age youth, iFoster conducted a national survey to better understand the perspectives of young adults with experience of foster care, caregivers, and front-line child welfare workers.
Detalles del estudio
Población: 2,411 participants comprised of current and former youth in foster care, caregivers, and front-line workers from 49 states and the District of Columbia
Fuente de datos: Survey via email of members of the iFoster portal
Cita Foster. (2022). Voice of the foster care community: Children in foster care, caregivers and front-line child welfare workers speak out. Obtenido de this report.
¿Cuáles son las conclusiones críticas?
There was consensus across the three respondent groups that the child welfare system is failing young people, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic amplified some of these failures. Several key themes emerged:
Despite the trauma children experience as a result of both maltreatment and foster care, the system is not focused on prioritizing well-being and instead is focused on administrative tasks (policies, paperwork, procedures).
Children of color and LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented in foster care and face racism and discrimination in the system, which impacts their outcomes. Respondents reported concerns about disparities in removal decisions and reunification, and a lack of information and support regarding both cultural training and working with LGBTQ+ youth.
Children remain in foster placements for too long, and not enough priority is placed on supporting parents to maintain a relationship with their children and work toward permanency as quickly as possible.
Youth need equitable access to resources to help them transition to adulthood, including rental assistance, employment, cash assistance, and support for achieving educational goals.
Young people impacted by the child welfare system must be actively and authentically engaged in how the child welfare system operates and the type of support it provides.
¿Por qué es importante para nuestro trabajo?
People directly involved with the child welfare system – including current and former youth in foster care, caregivers, and front-line child welfare staff – have the best understanding of what changes are needed to better support children and families. The failures of the current system must be addressed, including tackling the systemic inequities that persist, the lack of support to youth in achieving permanency, and the inadequate allocation of resources and supports.
Casey Family Programs consulta con individuos y equipos en todo el país para recopilar investigaciones, experiencias y conocimientos sobre enfoques que pueden reducir de manera segura la necesidad de acogida familiar y garantizar el bienestar de los niños y las familias. Compartimos esta información ampliamente para ayudar a los líderes de bienestar infantil y a sus socios a abordar problemas similares en sus propias comunidades. Para preguntas sobre este recurso, o si tiene otras necesidades de información sobre bienestar infantil, envíe un correo electrónico a kmresources@casey.org.
There are many systemic and financial barriers to providing permanency to youth in foster care. To supplement the substantial body of qualitative, journal-based research about the needs of transition-age youth, iFoster conducted a national survey to better understand the perspectives of young adults with experience of foster care, caregivers, and front-line child welfare workers.
Detalles del estudio
Población: 2,411 participants comprised of current and former youth in foster care, caregivers, and front-line workers from 49 states and the District of Columbia
Fuente de datos: Survey via email of members of the iFoster portal
Cita Foster. (2022). Voice of the foster care community: Children in foster care, caregivers and front-line child welfare workers speak out. Obtenido de this report.
¿Cuáles son las conclusiones críticas?
There was consensus across the three respondent groups that the child welfare system is failing young people, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic amplified some of these failures. Several key themes emerged:
Despite the trauma children experience as a result of both maltreatment and foster care, the system is not focused on prioritizing well-being and instead is focused on administrative tasks (policies, paperwork, procedures).
Children of color and LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented in foster care and face racism and discrimination in the system, which impacts their outcomes. Respondents reported concerns about disparities in removal decisions and reunification, and a lack of information and support regarding both cultural training and working with LGBTQ+ youth.
Children remain in foster placements for too long, and not enough priority is placed on supporting parents to maintain a relationship with their children and work toward permanency as quickly as possible.
Youth need equitable access to resources to help them transition to adulthood, including rental assistance, employment, cash assistance, and support for achieving educational goals.
Young people impacted by the child welfare system must be actively and authentically engaged in how the child welfare system operates and the type of support it provides.
¿Por qué es importante para nuestro trabajo?
People directly involved with the child welfare system – including current and former youth in foster care, caregivers, and front-line child welfare staff – have the best understanding of what changes are needed to better support children and families. The failures of the current system must be addressed, including tackling the systemic inequities that persist, the lack of support to youth in achieving permanency, and the inadequate allocation of resources and supports.
Casey Family Programs consulta con individuos y equipos en todo el país para recopilar investigaciones, experiencias y conocimientos sobre enfoques que pueden reducir de manera segura la necesidad de acogida familiar y garantizar el bienestar de los niños y las familias. Compartimos esta información ampliamente para ayudar a los líderes de bienestar infantil y a sus socios a abordar problemas similares en sus propias comunidades. Para preguntas sobre este recurso, o si tiene otras necesidades de información sobre bienestar infantil, envíe un correo electrónico a kmresources@casey.org.
