Ensuring that young people in foster care receive the support they need at the right time, is a pressing issue across health- and social services. In this study, we aim to broaden the knowledge base on what constitutes appropriate help and support from the perspective of young people in long-term foster care in Norway. As part of a larger survey, young people in foster care (N = 178) aged eleven to eighteen years provided written accounts on the open-ended question: ‘What advice would you give adults who help young people living in foster care?’. We conducted a systematic content analysis to identify themes and categories across the data. Four main themes were identified: enable participation; build trusting relationships; ensure appropriate follow-up; and cultivate belonging. Participation served as a pivoting point across the themes, as a prerequisite for young people in care to receive the services they need and develop a positive self-relationship. Our findings indicate that services must be tailored to recognise how the strengths and needs of young people in foster care change over time and differ across individuals. Developing practice tools that enhance young people’s participation is therefore paramount, as social workers, foster parents and other adults are crucial to processes of well-being and belonging.

中文翻译：

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在寄养中听取年轻人的建议——从参与到归属感

确保寄养中的年轻人在正确的时间获得他们需要的支持，是卫生和社会服务领域的一个紧迫问题。在这项研究中，我们旨在从挪威长期寄养的年轻人的角度，拓宽关于什么是适当帮助和支持的知识基础。作为一项更大规模调查的一部分，11 至 18 岁的寄养年轻人（N = 178）就开放式问题提供了书面说明：“你会给帮助寄养年轻人的成年人什么建议？”。我们进行了系统的内容分析，以确定数据中的主题和类别。确定了四个主题：促进参与；建立信任关系；确保适当的跟进；培养归属感。参与是跨主题的转折点，作为接受护理的年轻人获得所需服务并发展积极的自我关系的先决条件。我们的研究结果表明，必须对服务进行量身定制，以识别寄养中年轻人的优势和需求如何随时间而变化，并因人而异。因此，开发提高年轻人参与度的实践工具至关重要，因为社会工作者、养父母和其他成年人对于幸福和归属感的过程至关重要。