“Was Taking Me Out of the Home Necessary?” Perspectives of Foster Youth on the Necessity for Removal

The public views on child protection are often negative and assume that children in care are uniformly unhappy and would rather be at home than in care. This qualitative research sought to give voice to youth on their foster care experience. Former foster youth were asked to recall being removed from their home and reflect on whether they thought removal was necessary. More than three quarters thought removal was necessary and beneficial; 16% disagreed with the removal decision. The reasons given by both sets of youth are discussed. These results support other research findings that suggest foster youth are more satisfied than dissatisfied with care. The implications of these findings for policy are discussed.