The Illinois State Foster Youth Advisory Board as a Counterspace for Well-Being through Identity Work: Perspectives of Current and Former Members

Abstract

Foster youth advisory boards (YABs) are well known for their advocacy mission. Less is known about other benefits that may come from participation. This constructivist grounded theory study seeks to expand the conceptual understanding of one aspect of adolescent development and well-being—meaning-making around identity—among 33 current and former elected officers of the Illinois state foster youth advisory board. The findings suggest that the YAB created a platform for the participants to challenge and reinterpret their experiences in ways that normalized, protected, and enhanced positive aspects of their identities. Three interconnected conditions of the YAB supported this process: affiliating with peers, accessing generative adults, and trying on new roles. Our discussion explores a conceptualization of the YAB as a counterspace and draws attention to the specific role that institutional and professional contexts play in promoting healthy development and well-being of foster youth.