Youth who run away from foster care experience danger to health and safety and increased risk of adverse child welfare outcomes. By applying a concurrent mixed-methods approach, this study aimed to develop a deeper understanding of runaway risk that used a person-centered lens and amplified youth voices. Collectively, this approach can inform service innovations to support youth placed in out-of-home care. Working with a foster care agency in Kansas, data sources comprised administrative data for youth ages 12 + in care, and interview data with 20 youth, 12 + in care. Quantitative analyses involved latent class analysis followed by multinomial logistic regression to investigate whether the population of youth in care was comprised of subpopulations with differential runaway risk and whether subpopulations would predict runaway behaviors. Qualitative analyses applied modified analytic inductive thematic analysis to explore critical life experiences that may act as risk or protective factors of running away from care. Results revealed four sub-populations which were characterized by their previous family and system experiences. Additionally, class membership, gender, number of siblings, and age were statistically significant predictors of runway behaviors. Youth interviews revealed five key themes on life experiences that mitigate or exacerbate youths’ runaway behaviors. Recommendations resulting from this study were provided in three key areas: (1) improving family visitation and maintaining youth connections with self-identified family and non-relative kin; (2) supporting service approaches for youth that honor and amplify their voices, choices, and family connections; and (3) improving placement quality and individualization of services.

逃离寄养的青少年会面临健康和安全的危险，并增加不良儿童福利结果的风险。通过应用并行混合方法，本研究旨在通过以人为本的视角和放大年轻人的声音，更深入地了解失控风险。总的来说，这种方法可以为服务创新提供信息，以支持接受户外护理的年轻人。与堪萨斯州的一家寄养机构合作，数据源包括 12 岁以上受托青少年的管理数据以及 20 名 12 岁以上青少年的访谈数据。定量分析涉及潜在类别分析，然后进行多项逻辑回归，以调查接受护理的青少年群体是否由具有不同逃亡风险的亚群体组成，以及亚群体是否可以预测逃逸行为。定性分析应用改良的分析性归纳主题分析来探索可能作为逃避护理的风险或保护因素的关键生活经历。结果显示了四个亚人群，其特征是他们以前的家庭和系统经历。此外，班级成员、性别、兄弟姐妹数量和年龄是跑道行为的统计显着预测因素。青少年访谈揭示了生活经历的五个关键主题，这些主题减轻或加剧了青少年的离家出走行为。这项研究提出了三个关键领域的建议：（1）改善家庭探视并维持青少年与自我认同的家庭和非亲属的联系；(2) 支持为青年提供尊重和扩大他们的声音、选择和家庭联系的服务方法；（三）提高安置质量和服务个性化。