Campus Units
Human Development and Family Studies
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Accepted Manuscript
Publication Date
8-9-2020
Journal or Book Title
Child Youth Care Forum
DOI
10.1007/s10566-020-09567-0
Abstract
Background: Over 400,000 children and youth are in foster care at any given time in the United States, with nearly one-third exiting care between ages 13 and 20. Pregnancy among women in this population is nearly double national averages, with one-third becoming pregnant by age 17 and nearly half of those experiencing repeat pregnancies by age 19. Research is needed about the sources of formal and informal information and support foster care youth receive about pregnancy and parenting, their access to and use of contraception, and the involvement of fathers/non-custodial parents in raising children.
Objective: The purpose of the current study was to better understand the experiences of foster care youth to inform policy and practice recommendations that address the high rate of unintended pregnancies and early parenting among youth transitioning from foster care.
Methods: This is a secondary analysis of data from a mixed-method study with a concurrent explanatory design including survey and focus group data. Complete survey responses included 81 participants (female n = 61; male n = 20) between the ages of 18–25, and 9 females took part in two focus groups.
Results: Sexual experiences were common for foster care youth and they reported few educational opportunities and supportive relationships. Themes that emerged from the focus group discussions centered on socialization about reproduction, social support, and parenting.
Conclusions: Access to educational opportunities and supportive personal relationships were lower than what would be expected from national estimates of non-foster care youth. Findings from both the survey and focus group data suggest enhancing programs for foster care youth with a specific focus on education and support for reproductive health, pregnancy, and parenting.
Copyright Owner
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Copyright Date
2020
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Rouse, Heather L.; Hurt, Tera R.; Melby, Janet N.; Bartel, Maya; McCurdy, Bethany; McKnight, Emily; Zhao, Feng; Weems, Carl F.; and Behrer, Carol, "Pregnancy and Parenting Among Youth Transitioning from Foster Care: A Mixed Methods Study" (2020). Human Development and Family Studies Publications. 132.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/hdfs_pubs/132
Included in
Community-Based Research Commons, Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Place and Environment Commons
Comments
This accepted article is published as Rouse, H.L., Hurt, T.R., Melby, J.N. et al. Pregnancy and Parenting Among Youth Transitioning from Foster Care: A Mixed Methods Study. Child Youth Care Forum (2020). Doi: 10.1007/s10566-020-09567-0. Posted with permission.