Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowlon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Department of Sociology and Social Work, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Health Soc Care Community. 2022 Feb;30(2):685-694. doi: 10.1111/hsc.13178. Epub 2020 Sep 23.
Research has documented the challenges faced by foster care leavers in their transition to independent living or adult lives revolving around education, employment, accommodation, substance use and criminal involvement. Although studies have investigated the support available to foster care leavers, there is inadequate research on the contribution of social service organisations where most foster leavers receive services. More particularly, in Denmark, child welfare services do not reach foster care leavers as a specific target group beyond 23 years. Therefore, the perspectives of foster care leavers about their experiences with support resources from a non-governmental social service organisation in Denmark were explored. This was an institutional ethnographic study involving in-depth interviews with 17 foster care leavers at the organisation where they received services. Data from the interviews were analysed following a thematic analysis. Themes including networking and social skills, practical support and sense of family were reported. The study demonstrates that the need for social connections and relationships, education and employment is a priority for foster care leavers. Professionals working with foster care leavers should teach the population relevant skills that could help them build healthy relationships with others. Policies should be developed to support the roles performed by such social service organisations to ensure that foster care leavers do not experience difficult transitions into independent living.
研究记录了寄养儿童在过渡到独立生活或围绕教育、就业、住房、药物使用和犯罪参与的成人生活时所面临的挑战。尽管已经有研究调查了为寄养儿童提供的支持，但对于大多数寄养儿童接受服务的社会服务组织的贡献，研究还不够充分。更具体地说，在丹麦，儿童福利服务不会将 23 岁以上的寄养儿童作为特定目标群体。因此，探讨了寄养儿童对他们在丹麦一个非政府社会服务组织获得的支持资源的体验。这是一项参与式民族志研究，涉及该组织中 17 名接受服务的寄养儿童的深入访谈。对访谈数据进行了主题分析。报告的主题包括网络和社交技能、实际支持和家庭意识。该研究表明，寄养儿童优先需要社会联系和关系、教育和就业。与寄养儿童一起工作的专业人员应该教授该人群相关技能，帮助他们与他人建立健康的关系。应该制定政策来支持这类社会服务组织所扮演的角色，以确保寄养儿童在过渡到独立生活时不会经历困难。
