Placement stability and satisfaction with foster home as predictors of life satisfaction for young adults raised in foster care

Abstract

This study examines how history of care, on one hand, and social support, on the other hand, predict satisfaction with life after leaving care by focusing on a sample of young adults raised in foster care in Norway. When aged between 19 and 29, youths answered questionnaires that mapped their past history of care, living conditions, social relationships and life satisfaction. Results show that the 70 respondents had experienced a relatively stable history of care (mean number of placements ± SD: 1.7 ± 0.9) and reported life satisfaction scores similar to those measured in the general population (23.3 ± 7.0, mean ± SD). Placement stability (P = 0.001) and a high satisfaction with foster home (P = 0.030) were related to a higher life satisfaction. Moreover, having good social support, that is, persons that you can count on in case of major personal problems (P < 0.001) and a good contact with the foster family (P = 0.005), was associated with a higher satisfaction with life. Several health-related variables and the working status were also linked to life satisfaction. Our work highlights the need to focus on promoting placement stability and a good relationship to the foster family in order to enhance well-being after leaving care.