Transition to Adulthood: Preparing Foster Care Youth for Success

AUTHOR
JoAnna Taylor *

KEYWORDS
Foster Care, Aging out, Transition to Adulthood, Foster Care Youth

ABSTRACT
The purpose of the qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore the stories and experiences of prior foster care youth regarding the nature and effectiveness of the training for adulthood they received at a local Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) in the United States. The study explored the management of foster care youth preparedness during the transition from foster care to adulthood and how the preparedness affected foster care youth after transition. Nine prior foster care youth shared their experiences of feeling they were not provided adequate training to produce positive outcomes in their transition to adulthood along with not receiving all the training they needed to support themselves. All participants expressed the need for additional resources to make the transition to adulthood less stressful and create success for themselves.