Parenting Under Pressure: Experiences of Parenting While Aging Out of Foster Care
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Parenting Under Pressure: Experiences of Parenting While Aging Out of Foster Care Lisa Schelbe1
•
Jennifer Mullins Geiger2
Published online: 18 November 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016
Abstract Youth ‘‘aging out’’ of foster care experience higher rates of adolescent parenting than their peers who have not been in care. Due to their history of maltreatment, high adolescent pregnancy rates, and poor psychosocial outcomes, youth aging out who are parents are a vulnerable at-risk group. This study examines the parenting experiences of 33 youth aging out (21 mothers and 12 fathers) using data from a larger ethnography. Field notes of observation and transcribed interviews of youth aging out who are parents were analyzed using open coding strategies. Findings show parents encountered challenges while aging out and parenting, yet they found joy in their children and strived to be good parents despite having limited parenting skills, few resources, and little support. Desiring a better life for their children and fearing their children would enter foster care, parents were motivated to improve their lives for their children. Implications are discussed. Keywords Youth aging out Parenting Adolescents Care leavers Foster care Child welfare
This article was blindly peer reviewed and Dr. Schelbe, co-Editor of the journal, was not involved in the decision making process. & Lisa Schelbe [email protected] 1
Florida State University College of Social Work, 296 Champions Way, PO Box 3062570, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2570, USA
2
Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Introduction Despite a recent decrease in overall adolescent pregnancy rates in the United States (U.S.), youth in and ‘‘aging out’’ of the foster care system continue to be at a greater risk of pregnancy, and early parenting, than their peers who have not been in foster care (Courtney & Dworsky, 2006; Dworsky & Courtney, 2010; Oshima, Narendorf, & McMillen, 2013; Shpiegel & Cascardi, 2015). Youth age out of foster care when they are no longer eligible to receive services due to their age, which is typically at age 18 or 21 depending on the state in which they live. Estimates of the rate of pregnancy among youth in and aging out of foster care are two to three times higher than national averages of youth of the same age who have not experienced foster care (Courtney & Dworsky, 2006; Dworsky & Courtney, 2010; Oshima et al., 2013; Shpiegel & Cascardi, 2015). In addition to high rates of pregnancy and early parenting, youth aging out also experience a variety of difficulties related to their transition from care into adulthood including challenges related to obtaining stable housing (Curry & Abrams, 2015), employment (Hook & Courtney, 2011; Naccarato, Brophy, & Courtney, 2010; Stewart, Kum, Barth, & Duncan, 2014), and education (Day, Dworsky, Fogarty, & Damashek, 2011) as well as issues related to physical and mental health (Dworsky & Courtney, 2009; Kang-Yi & Adams, 2015; Simmel, Lee, Kim, &
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