An exploration of experiences of youth exiting foster care system

Abstract

Foster care is a major area of interest within the field of social work studies. The South African welfare system has not done enough to assist the youth exiting the system. This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences and support systems for youth exiting the foster care system. A qualitative exploratory-descriptive research approach was utilized with of focus group discussions, which were thematically analysed. The Humanities Social Science Research Ethics Committee ethically approved this study. Four themes were identified: insight into foster care system, challenges experienced by the youth exiting care, support needed by youth exiting care and challenges experienced by the social workers to manage foster care placements.