Social support among former foster youth across placement types

Adequate social support is crucial for the socioemotional development of youth, yet youth with out-of-home care experience have shown to have less social support than youth without this experience. Continuing into young adulthood, former foster youth demonstrate lower levels of social support compared to the general population. Although gaps in social support among former foster youth are well known, less is known about predictors of social support among this population, particularly across placement histories. Data were derived from the Midwest Study of Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth. Participants (N = 681) predominantly had experience with “independent living or other care” (84 %), followed by group care (82 %). Approximately half of participants experienced five or more placements (n = 324; 44 %). Pearson’s correlations indicated that greater help-seeking intent, being in fewer than five placements, experience in kinship care, no experience in group care, greater caregiver closeness, and receipt of more independent living services were statistically associated with greater social support. The linear regression model revealed that, when accounting for caregiver closeness, group home experience and help-seeking intent were no longer associated with social support and independent living was significantly associated with greater social support. Results suggest a potential influence of placement type on caregiver closeness, as well as caregiver closeness on help-seeking intent. These findings have implications for the development of programming in out-of-home care placements to promote healthy relationships, expand family engagement and access to ILS services, and limit placement transfers, when possible, to improve levels of social support among former foster youth.