Place to Lay My Head

Through a series of individual interviews, twelveyoung men and women living in community based grouphomes in New York City explore in depth theirexperiences with the child welfare system and themeanings they attach to their concepts of home. Theseyouth are aged 18 through 21 and average nine yearseach in foster care, representing for most more thanhalf of their lives. As their voices emerge, theydiscuss their hopes, dreams and desires for thefuture. How these young people define "home" nowspeaks to how they will create homes for themselvesas adults. Social construction theory providesimportant insight into this process of developingnotions of home. A better understanding of theirstruggles informs how services can be improved sothat young people preparing to leave care may moreeasily access and utilize needed resources. Thisbook would contribute to the study of children, youthand family services and is important to socialworkers and administrators who are providing servicesto young adults and families in the child welfaresystem. It should also be of interest to humanservice practitioners and educators in the areas ofsocial work, psychology and counseling.