Children and Youth Services Review: 'A steady presence in the midst of change: non-kin natural mentors in the lives of older youth exiting foster care'.

Munson, Michelle R. ; Smalling, Susan E. ; Spencer, Renee 等

Using data from the final interview of a longitudinal study of young care leavers in Missouri, this study explores the nature of the non-kin natural mentoring relationships among 189 19-year-olds in the process of 'aging out' of the foster care system. The participants who reported a natural mentoring relationship at age 19 were asked a series of questions. Thematic analysis, informed by relational-cultural theory, was used to explore the nature of the relationships from the young adult's perspective. Young people reported having natural mentors who served in a range of roles in their lives, including youth service professionals and friends of their families. They also described the qualities of their natural mentors that were important to them, the specific features of their natural mentoring relationships which they perceived to be especially helpful, and the various kinds of support these relationships had offered to them. Implications for social work policy, practice and research are discussed. In conclusion, the authors suggest that this study supports the notion that non-kin natural mentors are perceived as providing an authentic, caring connection for many young adults in the process of leaving care.

32:4, April 2010, pp 527-35, USA