Policy Recommendations from an Empirical Study of an Online Foster Care Community

Despite the existence of official system-based support in the United States like Independent Living Programs funded under the US Chafee Program since 1999, people who are transitioning or have transitioned out of the foster care system continue to experience disproportionately negative outcomes in relation to their peers. In addition to or in lieu of system-based interventions, some people with lived experience in foster care turn to online communities to seek informal peer-based support and connection. This study is a descriptive, quantitative analysis of qualitatively-coded posts from an online community for people with lived experience in the foster care system. The study provides empirical evidence and insights into some of the benefits and risks of membership in one such community. The results indicate that people with lived experience discussed topics of importance to the transition to adulthood in ways that are distinct from people who have not spent time in the foster care system. Within the discussion by people with lived experience, topics related to risks and protective factors tended to be discussed more negatively and with higher rates of personal disclosure, while topics that moved beyond basic needs were discussed with greater diversity of sentiment and speech acts. The implications of these findings include impetus for establishing guidelines aimed at caregivers, social workers, and tech companies that can allow individuals with lived experience in the foster care system to engage in online communities in ways that ensure access to the potential benefits while mitigating the risks.