IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v108y2020ics0190740919302713.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Narratives of women’s retrospective experiences of teen pregnancy, motherhood, and school engagement while placed in foster care

Author

Listed:
  • Ohene, Serena K.
  • Garcia, Antonio

Abstract

Pregnant and Parenting Teens (PPTs) in foster care experience, among many setbacks, more academic difficulties, than their peers who are not in foster care. The challenges of teen pregnancy and parenting and the expectation of maintaining school engagement and positive academic outcomes can be overwhelming, especially for foster care youth who live away from their home of origin. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the extent to which the core tenets of attachment, identity, self-efficacy, and critical race theories collectively explain or validate experiences of school engagement and academic outcomes among pregnant and parenting teens in the child welfare system. Semi-structured interviews with eleven aged-out pregnant and parenting teens supported the utility of the four main theories in elucidating the barriers and facilitators to PPTs school engagement and improved academic outcomes. All together, the PPTs narratives do not single out one of these individual theories as solely playing a direct role in influencing their engagement in educational processes and academic outcomes. Rather, the integration of the tenets and main ideas of each of these theories holistically capture their experiences. Study findings showed that school engagement and educational achievement increased among PPTs in foster and group homes when they experienced attachment connections with foster parents and staff, positive identity development, and enhanced self-efficacy. Suggestions for promoting attachment and relational connections, positive identity formation, enhanced self-efficacies, and racial/ethnic inclusion toward boosting school engagement are highlighted.

Suggested Citation

  • Ohene, Serena K. & Garcia, Antonio, 2020. "Narratives of women’s retrospective experiences of teen pregnancy, motherhood, and school engagement while placed in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:108:y:2020:i:c:s0190740919302713
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104563
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740919302713
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104563?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rose, Theda & Joe, Sean & Lindsey, Michael, 2011. "Perceived stigma and depression among black adolescents in outpatient treatment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 161-166, January.
    2. Patterson, Debra & Day, Angelique & Vanderwill, Lori & Willis, Tamarie & Resko, Stella & Henneman, Kris & Cohick, Sue, 2018. "Identifying the essential competencies for resource parents to promote permanency and well-being of adolescents in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 457-466.
    3. Vacca, James S., 2008. "Breaking the cycle of academic failure for foster children -- What can the schools do to help?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(9), pages 1081-1087, September.
    4. Aparicio, Elizabeth & Pecukonis, Edward V. & O'Neale, Shalita, 2015. "“The love that I was missing”: Exploring the lived experience of motherhood among teen mothers in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 44-54.
    5. Noonan, Kathleen & Matone, Meredith & Zlotnik, Sarah & Hernandez-Mekonnen, Robin & Watts, Caroline & Rubin, David & Mollen, Cynthia, 2012. "Cross-system barriers to educational success for children in foster care: The front line perspective," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 403-408.
    6. Garcia, Antonio R. & Kim, Minseop & DeNard, Christina, 2016. "Context matters: The state of racial disparities in mental health services among youth reported to child welfare in 1999 and 2009," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 101-108.
    7. Pecora, Peter J. & Kessler, Ronald C. & O'Brien, Kirk & White, Catherine Roller & Williams, Jason & Hiripi, Eva & English, Diana & White, James & Herrick, Mary Anne, 2006. "Educational and employment outcomes of adults formerly placed in foster care: Results from the Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(12), pages 1459-1481, December.
    8. Svoboda, Deborah V. & Shaw, Terry V. & Barth, Richard P. & Bright, Charlotte Lyn, 2012. "Pregnancy and parenting among youth in foster care: A review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 867-875.
    9. Haight, Wendy & Finet, Dayna & Bamba, Sachiko & Helton, Jesse, 2009. "The beliefs of resilient African-American adolescent mothers transitioning from foster care to independent living: A case-based analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 53-62, January.
    10. Stone, Susan & Han, Meekyung, 2005. "Perceived school environments, perceived discrimination, and school performance among children of Mexican immigrants," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 51-66, January.
    11. Dworsky, Amy & Courtney, Mark E., 2010. "The risk of teenage pregnancy among transitioning foster youth: Implications for extending state care beyond age 18," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(10), pages 1351-1356, October.
    12. Stone, Susan, 2007. "Child maltreatment, out-of-home placement and academic vulnerability: A fifteen-year review of evidence and future directions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 139-161, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Goyette, Martin & Blanchet, Alexandre & Esposito, Tonino & Delaye, Ashleigh, 2021. "The role of placement instability on employment and educational outcomes among adolescents leaving care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    2. Harmon-Darrow, Caroline & Burruss, Karen & Finigan-Carr, Nadine, 2020. "“We are kind of their parents”: Child welfare workers’ perspective on sexuality education for foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    3. Lieberman, Lisa D. & Kaplan, Alejandra & Scholey, Laura & Kohomban, Jeremy & Lausell-Bryant, Linda, 2020. "Strategic partners: Enhancing the ability of foster care agencies to serve the special needs of young mothers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Aparicio, Elizabeth & Pecukonis, Edward V. & O'Neale, Shalita, 2015. "“The love that I was missing”: Exploring the lived experience of motherhood among teen mothers in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 44-54.
    5. Narendorf, Sarah Carter & Munson, Michelle R. & Levingston, Fredreka, 2013. "Managing moods and parenting: Perspectives of former system youth who struggle with emotional challenges," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 1979-1987.
    6. Bruce, Janine S., 2016. "Sexual and reproductive health policies for foster youth in California: A qualitative study of child welfare professionals' experiences and perceptions of policies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 184-200.
    7. Aparicio, Elizabeth M. & Shpiegel, Svetlana & Grinnell-Davis, Claudette & King, Bryn, 2019. "“My body is strong and amazing”: Embodied experiences of pregnancy and birth among young women in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 199-205.
    8. Ramseyer Winter, Virginia & Brandon-Friedman, Richard A. & Ely, Gretchen E., 2016. "Sexual health behaviors and outcomes among current and former foster youth: A review of the literature," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 1-14.
    9. Radey, Melissa & Schelbe, Lisa & McWey, Lenore M. & Holtrop, Kendal & Canto, Angela I., 2016. "“It's really overwhelming”: Parent and service provider perspectives of parents aging out of foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 1-10.
    10. Combs, Katie Massey & Brown, Samantha M. & Begun, Stephanie & Taussig, Heather, 2018. "Pregnancy attitudes and contraceptive use among young adults with histories of foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 284-289.
    11. Sarah A. Font & Maria Cancian & Lawrence M. Berger, 2019. "Prevalence and Risk Factors for Early Motherhood Among Low-Income, Maltreated, and Foster Youth," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(1), pages 261-284, February.
    12. Combs, Katie Massey & Cook Lee, Mackenzie & Ramseyer Winter, Virginia & Taussig, Heather, 2022. "Sexual and reproductive health protective factors among adolescents with child welfare involvement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    13. Eastman, Andrea Lane & Schelbe, Lisa & McCroskey, Jacquelyn, 2019. "A content analysis of case records: Two-generations of child protective services involvement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 308-318.
    14. Brännström, Lars & Vinnerljung, Bo & Hjern, Anders, 2015. "Risk factors for teenage childbirths among child welfare clients: Findings from Sweden," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 44-51.
    15. Greene, Alison & Korchmaros, Josephine D., 2022. "Engaging parents and caregivers of system-involved youth in a sexual health intervention," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    16. Forsman, Hilma & Vinnerljung, Bo, 2012. "Interventions aiming to improve school achievements of children in out-of-home care: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1084-1091.
    17. Shpiegel, Svetlana & Cascardi, Michele, 2018. "The impact of early childbirth on socioeconomic outcomes and risk indicators of females transitioning out of foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 1-8.
    18. Hansson, Åse & Gustafsson, Jan-Eric & Nielsen, Bo, 2018. "Special needs education and school mobility: School outcomes for children placed and not placed in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 589-597.
    19. Geiger, Jennifer M. & Piel, Megan Hayes & Day, Angelique & Schelbe, Lisa, 2018. "A descriptive analysis of programs serving foster care alumni in higher education: Challenges and opportunities," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 287-294.
    20. Garcia, Antonio R. & DeNard, Christina & Morones, Seth M. & Eldeeb, Nehal, 2019. "Mitigating barriers to implementing evidence-based interventions in child welfare: Lessons learned from scholars and agency directors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 313-331.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:108:y:2020:i:c:s0190740919302713. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.