Documenting lives: The material and social life of the case file in the U.S. foster care system

The U.S. foster care system aims to provide care to children who are unable to live safely with their families of origin. Yet, fostered youth endure negative experiences before, during, and after foster care. This study investigates tensions between stated goals and experiences of foster care, from the perspective of (formerly) fostered youth. Framed by relational dialectics theory, contrapuntal analysis of 32 narrative interviews revealed two discourses that construct meaning of the foster care system: (1) Discourse of System as (a Necessary) Good aligned with stated goals, constructing the system as helpful and (2) Discourse of System as Harmful (but Necessary) competed with assumptions that foster care is helpful, constructing the system as broken. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

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No Home and No Acceptance: Exploring the Intersectionality of Sexual/Gender Identities (LGBTQ) and Race in the Foster Care System

The Review of Black Political Economy ◽

10.1177/0034644620911381 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 47 (2) ◽

pp. 177-193 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jevay Grooms

Keyword(s):

Foster Care ◽

Policy Change ◽

Foster Youth ◽

Foster Care System ◽

Federal Level ◽

Child Welfare Agencies ◽

Youth Population ◽

Welfare Agencies ◽

The U.S ◽

Care System

Black youth have been overrepresented in the U.S. foster care system for decades. This, coupled with disparities in treatment and outcomes, has forced all child welfare agencies to take note and influenced policy change, at the federal level. Recently, literature has begun to bring to light the existence of a substantial LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) foster youth population which is overrepresented and underserved. This article offers a comprehensive look at the LGBTQ foster youth population, its vulnerabilities, and its distinct needs. It further contributes to the existing body of literature by exploring the intersectionality of foster youth who identify as Black and LGBTQ.

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Conducting Sensitive Research with Teens in the U.S. Foster Care System

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3359371 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Karla Badillo-Urquiola ◽

Pamela Wisniewski

Keyword(s):

Foster Care ◽

Foster Care System ◽

The U.S ◽

Care System

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A child for every family? Characterizations of “adoptable” foster children in online permanency advocacy publications

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/0265407520918668 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 (7) ◽

pp. 2098-2117

Author(s):

Kristina M. Scharp ◽

Lindsey J. Thomas

Keyword(s):

Foster Care ◽

Foster Children ◽

Relational Dialectics ◽

Relational Dialectics Theory ◽

Adoptive Families ◽

Foster Care System ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Adoption Agency ◽

The U.S ◽

Care System

Despite the prevalence of children in need of adoption from the U.S. foster care system, only one of every 28 individuals who contact an adoption agency adopt from foster care. In response, adoption professionals create photolistings to maximize the pool of available prospective adoptive families and enhance the visibility of fostered youth. Yet, creating photolistings is challenging because professionals must navigate helping to place children without exploiting or misrepresenting them. Framed by relational dialectics theory, a contrapuntal analysis of 104 photolistings examined the discursive tensions of what it means to be an “adoptable” child. Findings revealed three discourses that constitute meaning: (1) discourse of child as unadoptable, (2) discourse of child as special, and (3) discourse of child as typical. The findings illustrate triadic interplay of all three discourses, wherein framing a child as special and/or typical counters culturally pervasive and damaging assumptions that fostered youth might be unadoptable or less adoptable than other children. Theoretical, methodological, and practical applications are discussed.

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