Caregiver Relationships

This paper focuses on two literature reviews the support network systems for foster youth, caregivers and foster parents to assist with transitioning into post foster care system and the social support networks they are provided along with the effectiveness of such supports. The first article written in 2014 reviews: In Search of Connection: Foster Youth and Caregiver Relationship: is collaboratively written by Heather L. Storer, Susan E. Barkan, Linnea L. Stenhouse, Caroline Eichenlaub, Anastasia Mallillin, and Kevin P. Haggerty, as a Qualitative study which completes 9 focus groups of 63 individuals who have previously or are currently living in foster care, not a residential treatment or group home placement. The second article reviews:
In the article, In Search of Connection: The Foster Youth and Caregiver Relationship focuses on the goal to, “Provide a descriptive account of the foster youth and caregiver relationship, and explore what qualities and experiences foster youth desire from their caregivers.”,(Storer, Barkan, Stenhouse, Eichenlaub, Mallillin, & Haggerty, 2014). This article review substantiates through 56 cites from peer reviews, journals, books and reports that stable supportive network placement of foster youth is associated with higher feelings of safety, wellbeing, and a decreased sense of ambiguity towards caregivers and post child welfare system. “Former foster youth who were recruited from a community based organization that supports former foster youth who are successfully transitioning to adulthood.” (Storer, Barkan, Stenhouse, Eichenlaub, Mallillin, & Haggerty, 2014). The youth and caregivers who were in participation were given a $25 stipend, and child welfare staff was provided a
Each participant was digitally recorded throughout the process for accurate transcription afterward. These warm questioned concluded that foster youth report that they feel content in there foster placement although, this satisfaction does not identify that the youth have a sense of affinity or belonging with their foster caregivers. One foster youth was quoted in the study by asserting, “They don’t even talk to you. They might say, ‘Hey,’ when you walk in the door or ‘Bye,’ when you leave and that it. And then if you do something they don’t like, then the one and only time they talk to you is when you do something wrong.” Consider this with the studies that show formidable bonds must be established to form connectivity between the foster youth and in this instant there seems to be no connectivity. (Negriff, James, & Trickett, 2014)., state, ”Establishing successful interpersonal relationships and social support network….begins in infancy creating a secure attachment to primary caregivers developing a schema for the way an individual approaches interpersonal interactions.”. Now consider that these foster youth move on average to 3 placements during their adolescent youth until the time of “aging out” of the welfare system. Furthermore this study also explores