寄養社工協助寄養少年自立生活服務之研究

Research on the Social Workers of Foster Care Working with the Foster Youth for Independent Living Services

Foster care is a vital form of alternative care for children and adolescents. As foster youth transition into adulthood, they often face challenges related to independent living, including schooling, employment, housing, and financial stability. Historically, there has been limited research on how foster care social workers perceive and support the development of independent living skills among foster youth. The purpose of this research is to explore the ways of services that foster care social workers provide to support foster youth in achieving independent living. Additionally, it exploresthe challenges social workers encounter in assisting foster youth and the strategies they employ to overcome these obstacles. It is expected that the results of this study can provide a reference for foster care social workers in helping foster youth to live independently. This study adopted a qualitative research method. This study employed purposive and snowball sampling to recruit the research participants. In-depth interviews were conducted with six foster care social workers who have either currently served or previously served for more than two years and have assisted at least one foster youth in transitioning to independent living. By focusing on the practical aspects of service provision, the study aims to comprehensively analyze the circumstances in which foster care social workers deliver independent living support and how practical knowledge is transferred. The research results indicate that the foster youth need to develop several key independent living skills, including resource utilization, self-management, positive values, self-expression, interpersonal interaction, mental health care, and intimate relationship management. Additionally, the independent living services are delivered through a variety of ways, emphasizing the importance of skill development both during foster placement and after transitioning out of care. Foster care social workers also face challenges in implementing independent living services with foster youth, foster families, and government administrators. The research concludes that the foster care social workers recognize the diverse needs of foster youth in achieving independent living and employ various methods to provide support. However, their ability to effectively deliver independent living services continues to face challenges and criticism. The research recommends that psychological and emotional independent living services should be established at the policy level, along with national resources to support independent living. At the practical level, it advocates for the cultivation and enhancement of foster care social workers’ professional knowledge in independent living services. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of organizing experience-sharing and collaboration among various institutions and multi-agency networks.