Am I a Successful Adult? Exploring the Influence of Ethnic Diversity in Defining Success among Former Foster Youth

Abstract

Barriers to success experienced by former foster youth are well documented; however, missing is the full exploration of the experiences of ethnic minority foster youth. This qualitative exploratory study presents a hermeneutic thematic analysis of interviews conducted with eight youth, of varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds, who recently aged out of foster care in a largely rural southwestern state. For many participants, their definition of success differed markedly from mainstream measures of successful transition into adulthood. Major themes of participant interviews included; education, family, community, and financial struggles/work. Although both education and financial difficulties have been widely documented among former foster youth, the attention to family and community factors have not been fully explored. This qualitative study encourages an expanded view of how a successful transition to adulthood can be markedly different among ethnically diverse foster care alumni and encourages continued exploration into the needs of this population.