Music making and the potential impact for a child in foster care

Abstract

The United Kingdom has seen an increasing number of children entering the looked after care system (foster care, adoptive care or residential care). Due to this increasing number, there have been several music projects set up in the United Kingdom, which aim to provide opportunities for musical engagement for looked after children. This article aims to examine the impact that a music project has on children in foster care and their carers. Using a case study strategy to examine the Loud and Clear project based at Sage Gateshead, this research took on a multi-methodological approach. Focus groups and interviews were constructed to collect the narratives of participants’ experiences of attending the project and to identify the impacts the project may be having. Additionally, participatory observations were also undertaken to see first-hand the approaches that the facilitators were using within sessions to meet the needs of the participants. Findings indicated that attending a music project helped facilitate a sense of structure for foster children while also providing unique opportunities for carers to socialize with one another – these being two key areas that are often lacking in participants’ lives, that can be seen to be overcome through active participation within a music project.

Exploring the lived experiences of teenagers in a children’s home participating in a choir: A community music therapy perspective

“…Lee experienced this phenomenon: '[t]he thing is everyone belongs in the group, and that is why we can unite in such a strong way' (13:79). Dorsey et al 2015), an interactional process within a perceived safe space may offer an experience of connection (Humphrey 2019;Powell 2004).…”

Youth in Foster Care and the Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard

“…Conn and colleagues (2014) found an association between foster youth involvement in extracurricular physical activity and higher social skills; with those not involved in structured activities scoring higher on measures of depression, loneliness, and substance use. Humphrey (2019) found that foster child participation in music-related activities provided a sense of structure, which facilitated the relationship building process between foster parent and foster child.…”

“…Foster parents have a vital role in supporting the development and well-being of foster children who have experienced trauma. Foster child participation in social and extracurricular activities (SEAs) is one method which has been shown to negate the consequences associated with trauma (Humphrey, 2019; Zinn et al, 2017). A study by Kwak et al (2018) found that adolescents in foster care who participated in mentored groups, including athletic and academic clubs, reported higher levels of school engagement and adolescents who participated in art and music clubs reported fewer depression symptoms.…”