Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Anne Haskins

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to create a training resource for foster families regarding life skills for the population of individuals aging out of the foster care system. There is an identified need for resources for individuals who age out of the foster system for life skills training and basic activities of daily living (ADL) training (Paul-Ward & Lambdin- Pattavina, 2016). Aging out of the foster system means that an individual has turned 18 years old without a legal adoptive family taking responsibility for them (Scannapieco et al., 2007). There is a need for the individuals who are preparing to age out of the system to have life skills training and accessibility to local resources should they need help with daily life activities. Many of these individuals do not know how to navigate social systems as they do not have biological or legal support systems to reference for guidance (Scannapieco et al., 2007). The individuals aging out have no legal ties to the family that they are currently living with and there are few effective transitional programs to have been found useful for this population and the issues present. Independent living is a challenge that individuals aging out of the foster system face as it is unclear what path in life is going to be most fitting for many individuals (Scannapieco et al., 2007). There is an opportunity for the occupational therapy profession to support individuals aging out of the foster care system through numerous avenues including provision of a resource designed specifically for this population.

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