Why one goes to school: what school means to young people entering foster care

Abstract

A B S T R AC TIn this interpretative childhood study of 17 boys and girls aged 13-16 years placed in foster families, the experiences and attitudes towards school are explored. The importance of school as an arena for both learning and socialization is emphasized. Data were collected through interviews, network maps and text answers via mobile phone ('beepers'). Their educational improvement was based on their understanding of scholastic achievement as meaningful for their future, stability in daily routines and the involvement and support of family, peers and teachers. Access to peers at school is important, and group activities facilitate this. Because of their background, foster youth can also be exposed to bullying from peers. Both learning and socialization at school affect their self-esteem.

You matter to me: important relationships and self‐esteem of adolescents in foster care

“…Not surprisingly, then, adolescents may develop significant relationships with individuals in their classes, extracurricular activities or after-school programmes. For adolescents in foster care, where connections with their biological family members may have been weakened, relationships with peers may be of even greater significance (Hedin et al 2011). Studies have shown that peer relationships of those in foster care play an important role during adolescent development (Kools 1997;Price & Brew 1998;Ryan et al 2008b).…”

“…Based on an ethnographic study of youths residing in a children's home, Törrönen (2006) found peer relationships to be an important aspect of youths' sense of community, where individuals created alliances with one another based on shared experiences. For adolescents who remain in the same school when they are removed from their biological families, peer relationships may provide a source of consistency (Hedin et al 2011). Conversely, if foster care status is known by others, it may lead to feelings of isolation and devaluation by others (Kools 1997;Hedin et al 2011).…”

“…Not surprisingly, then, adolescents may develop significant relationships with individuals in their classes, extracurricular activities or after‐school programmes. For adolescents in foster care, where connections with their biological family members may have been weakened, relationships with peers may be of even greater significance (Hedin et al . 2011).…”

“…2011). Conversely, if foster care status is known by others, it may lead to feelings of isolation and devaluation by others (Kools 1997; Hedin et al . 2011).…”

A sense of belonging in a changeable everyday life – a follow‐up study of young people in kinship, network, and traditional foster families

“…The everyday life and sense of belonging of adolescents entering various types of foster families is the topic of a Swedish study (see Hedin et al . 2011a,b,c).…”