Relational permanency, termination of parental rights and child welfare systems of care : a phenomenological study
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This study explores the relational permanency experiences of former foster youth who encountered the process of termination of parental rights (TPR). Fourteen former foster youth contributed their voice to discuss these experiences while residing in Missouri's child welfare systems of care and losing legal rights to family due to TPR. Their experiences were explored using Moustakas's transcendental phenomenological research methodology while using theoretical bases derived from attachment and systems theory. This analysis process employed epoche, phenomenological reduction, imaginative variation, and synthesis to create a rich essence of the youth's experiences, allowing for a full meaning of such experiences (Moustakas, 2014). The data generated from their voices yielded themes of loss, mental health decline, strained relationships, and poor child welfare interaction. The emerging themes generate a deeper understanding of relational permanency experiences of foster youth who lost ties to their family of origin due to TPR. The study suggests that the findings can be instrumental in improving child welfare practice and mitigate negative outcomes associated with older foster youth, especially those with TPR experiences.
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Ph. D.