Scholarlink

<p>Few studies prioritize youths’ own voices to shape foster care programs and policies, particularly in ways that are strengths- and empowerment-focused. As part of a larger photovoice study, the purpose of this analysis is to explore the experiences of self-advocacy among transition-aged youth in foster care receiving independent living services. A concurrent objective is to generate a social action statement derived by youth that (1) actively supports youths’ practice of self-advocacy and (2) communicates youths’ recommendations for practice and policy change. Results identify two primary themes: (a) the presence of factors that inhibit youths’ self-advocacy (e.g., preconceived assumptions about youth in foster care and youth not feeling individually known or understood within child welfare system and community interactions) and (b) the absence of factors that are needed to practice self-advocacy (e.g., youth needing receptive people and opportunities to assert their voice). Implications of this study focus on strategies to improve programmatic and system practices to better align with the needs and experiences expressed by youth in care. Collectively, findings inform ways diverse stakeholders may support youth across the multiple systems they interact with and how youth themselves define the need for system change.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

A Photovoice Study of Self-Advocacy Among Youth in Residential Foster Care

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年9月30日

查看全文
  • Marianna L. Colvin,
  • Morgan E. Cooley,
  • Heather M. Thompson,
  • Heather Howard,
  • Jill Carr

摘要

Few studies prioritize youths’ own voices to shape foster care programs and policies, particularly in ways that are strengths- and empowerment-focused. As part of a larger photovoice study, the purpose of this analysis is to explore the experiences of self-advocacy among transition-aged youth in foster care receiving independent living services. A concurrent objective is to generate a social action statement derived by youth that (1) actively supports youths’ practice of self-advocacy and (2) communicates youths’ recommendations for practice and policy change. Results identify two primary themes: (a) the presence of factors that inhibit youths’ self-advocacy (e.g., preconceived assumptions about youth in foster care and youth not feeling individually known or understood within child welfare system and community interactions) and (b) the absence of factors that are needed to practice self-advocacy (e.g., youth needing receptive people and opportunities to assert their voice). Implications of this study focus on strategies to improve programmatic and system practices to better align with the needs and experiences expressed by youth in care. Collectively, findings inform ways diverse stakeholders may support youth across the multiple systems they interact with and how youth themselves define the need for system change.