Hurt, loss, joy, and forgiveness: Foster care–experienced young adults' relationships with their birth parents

Holland, Sally ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7600-3855, Taussig, Heather and Havlicek, Judy 2025. Hurt, loss, joy, and forgiveness: Foster care–experienced young adults' relationships with their birth parents. Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science 10.1111/fare.13184

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Abstract

Objective: This article explores young adults' relationships with their birth parents following separation from their parents during childhood due to placement in foster care. Background: Parent–child relationships often change through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood, from dependency toward more independence and then mutuality, with much variation. Less is known about these relationships for young adults who spent some of their childhood in foster care. Method: Follow-up interviews were held with young adults who had been previously enrolled in a longitudinal study during middle childhood, shortly after they had been placed in foster care. Qualitative analysis was conducted of 191 responses to an open-ended question about their current relationship with their biological parents. Results: Relationships varied from very close and positive to nonexistent or distressing. Many young adults who had been adopted or had aged out of care reported close relationships and, conversely, some of those who had been reunified with their biological parents were later estranged. Conclusion: For most participants, the relationship with their birth parent(s) remained significant despite some care decisions, such as adoption, that often lead to termination of contact with parents during childhood. Implications: Young adults who have experienced foster care in childhood are likely to need support navigating relationships with biological parents through young adulthood, and this should be planned for and resourced.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	1741-3729
Funders:	National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, National Institute of Justice
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 March 2025
Date of Acceptance:	25 February 2025
Last Modified:	23 Apr 2025 11:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/177204

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