Exploring the Experiences of Foster Students of Color and Sense of Belonging
Sat, April 13, 11:25am to 12:55pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 200, Room 204ABCAbstract
Every year, 23,000 young adults age out of the foster care system, with many aspiring to obtain a college degree (Kinarsky, 2017). Yet only 10% are successful in obtaining a bachelor's degree (Wolanin, 2005). Significantly, failure to graduate college can have lasting impacts, particularly in the stratification of opportunities and social mobility. While a growing body of research has contributed to our understanding of the unique obstacles this group faces in college, viewing the foster community as a racially homogenous student population is both inaccurate and problematic. Thus, this qualitative study aims to specifically explore the experiences of foster students of Color at an R1 4-year public university and the role, if any, of foster-student campus support programs.