The experiences of adolescents preparing to leave foster care on the grounds of age in East London.

Abstract

Adolescents in the process of leaving foster care often have personal histories characterized by instability and one or more related factors such as poor parenting, separation from their families, poverty, abuse, neglect, abandonment, personal loss and disruptions resulting from displacement. As a result, these adolescents are often unprepared to be released from the support provided by government institutions. As few studies have investigated the experiences of children in foster care in South Africa, the principal aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of adolescents leaving the foster care system in East London, South Africa when they reach the age requiring them to do so. The qualitative method was adopted for this study, and thirty-five in-depth interviews were conducted. The study found that for children in foster care the adolescent stage is the most crucial. It was also learned that the foster care process itself is long, arduous and complex. The adolescents experience stress and uncertainty and are not given any support from the government or social workers as they approach the age at which they will be required to leave foster care. It is recommended that support be extended at least until after secondary schooling has been completed and the adolescents are able to fend for themselves.