Social support and interdependency in transition to adulthood from child welfare services

The transition to adulthood from care as a struggle for recognition

“…Another key element in providing the necessery support is facilitating good participation processes where youth are seen as a collaborative partners and where their voices are valued. The findings in this article also underline the need for creating and maintaining supportive relations of consistency and continuity, as also pointed out in previous research (Munson et al, ; Paulsen & Berg, ; Rutman & Hubberstey, ). Such support can be found in both formal and informal relations.…”

“…Young people emphasized the need for different forms of social support in transition to adulthood, which we may distinguish as emotional, practical, affirmational guidance, and participation support (Paulsen & Berg, ). Of special importance for social recognition is the need for affirmational guidance , which may be seen in terms of Honneth's “solidarity.” The need for such support becomes most evident when young people describe what has been helpful for them in building faith in themselves and what they can accomplish in the future, where they often highlight affirmational guidance and the importance of being met in an encouraging way.…”

“…We focus on relationships, participation, and social support as the three components highlighted by the young people who participated in interviews. Previous research also indicates that young people leaving care often face challenges related to creating and maintaining good relationships (Marion, Paulsen, & Goyette, 2017;Rutman & Hubberstey, 2016), participating effectively in decisions (Paulsen, 2016) and receiving good quality social support (Barry, 2010;Höjer & Sjöblom, 2010;Paulsen & Berg, 2016;Thomas, 2005). We argue that Honneth's theory is potentially useful, in that these three elements appear to depend on, and imply, the kinds of recognition that he identifies.…”

Understanding support network capacity during the transition from foster care: Youth-identified barriers, facilitators, and enhancement strategies

“…Research also consistently highlights the important role of non-parental adults in improving transition outcomes for older foster youth (Ahrens et al, 2011; Geenen & Powers, 2007; Greeson & Bowen, 2008; Gypen, et al, 2017; Munson & McMillen, 2009; Thompson, Greeson, & Brunsink, 2016), and studies focus on the presence of informal relationships to help bridge the expected shift from formal to informal support resources as services end (Greeson & Thompson, 2017; Jones, 2013; Nesmith & Christophersen, 2014; Singer, Berzin, & Hokanson, 2016; Paulson & Berg, 2016). Yet, long-term foster care leaves a subgroup of emancipating youth disconnected from informal relationships, disengaged from institutions and services, and disillusioned with the child welfare system (e.g., Keller et al, 2007), just as they are being encouraged by the child welfare system to actively participate in planning for their transition into independence.…”

Transitions to Adulthood of ‘At Risk’ Young Men: New Analysis from Two Norwegian Qualitative Longitudinal Studies

“…This was a slow step‐by‐step process ‘through interaction with the few adults who represented stability and continuity’ (Helgeland, , p. 428) for example in well‐resourced and well organised foster homes offering good support. Paulsen () also found that 17–26 years old Norwegians who had been in public care greatly valued caring and respectful support from social workers and caseworkers. Similarly, evaluations of leaving care in England and Ireland have shown that services can make a positive contribution (Pinkerton and McCrea, ; Wade and Dixon, ), including to the avoidance of homelessness (Stein, ) and the development of resilience (Bengtsson, Sjöblom and Öberg, ).…”