Date
8-9-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
LaRonda Starling
Keywords
foster care, trauma, public school system, education, achievement
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
Height, Ashley Warlick, "Exploring the Lived Experiences of South Carolina Foster Parents Within Spartanburg County Public Schools: A Phenomenological Study" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5853.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5853
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe foster parents’ experiences with high schools in the Spartanburg, South Carolina area. The study utilized phenomenological methods of gathering information by way of interviews and focus groups. The study explored the lived experiences of foster parents across the state of South Carolina most specifically about the enrollment process of new placements and the overall academic success and support those foster parents perceived that the foster youth in their homes received from the school system. The researcher sought to answer the following questions: 1. How do foster parents feel they are viewed within the South Carolina school system in which their foster child(ren) is/are enrolled?, 2. How do foster parents describe the biggest barriers when interacting on behalf of a foster placement’s educational experiences?, 3. How do foster parents describe inequities perceived regarding students in foster care versus those not in foster care? Limitations were addressed as also areas for future study.
