Minnesota Youth in Care: Voices of Wisdom

Adolescents currently make up the largest proportion of young people entering substitute care in the state of Minnesota. In this exploratory project, eleven young adults with a history of out of home placement in two Minnesota counties were interviewed. Participants shared their perceptions on the degree of influence they feel they had when decisions regarding their placements were made. They provided advice for youth currently entering the system and for practitioners working with adolescents in care. A review of the literature exploring the relationship between empowerment theories and youth participation in service provision provides a foundation for the study. Literature on psychosocial development in adolescence is reviewed and related to potential developmental benefits available to young people from care when they are provided with a wider range of opportunities for active participation in decisions about their care