Growing Up Fostered: Perspectives of Foster Care Alumni

The purpose of the original study was to explore belonging and ambiguous loss within the experience of foster care from the perspective of foster care alumni. This data provided the perspective that although there were many difficult times in foster care, alumni who were time-removed from the experience identified a positive perspective of the experience, and articulated specific advantages gained. The findings associated with “Gaining Perspectives” is presented here. Data of the positive aspects of delineated into four themes: Safe and Secure, My Behavior, What I Learned and The Adult I Am or Will Be.