Dissertation
Invisible advocates: exploring the roles of caregivers in special education for children in the foster system
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Jun 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011422
Abstract
Children in foster care are disproportionately represented in special education because of trauma, disrupted attachments, and placement instability. Despite the vital role of foster and biological parents navigating these systems, their perspectives remain understudied. This qualitative narrative inquiry centered on the lived experiences of these caregivers, examining how foster and biological caregivers of children with disabilities advocated within fragmented educational and child welfare systems. Ten caregivers--including biological, foster-to-adoptive, active foster, non-kinship foster, and kinship caregivers--participated in two semi-structured interviews each between March and April 2026. Data were analyzed using in vivo, emotion, and descriptive coding alongside re-storying. The study drew on Bronfenbrenner's (1979) Bioecological Systems Theory and Bowlby's (1969) Attachment Theory, with Boss's (1999) Theory of Ambiguous Loss emerging inductively from the data as a third analytic framework. Five interrelated themes emerged: (a) The Invisible Advocate, establishing advocacy as a structural necessity across all caregiver types; (b) Navigating a Fragmented System, documenting institutional barriers, rights non-disclosure, and informational asymmetries; (c) The Armor of Expertise, identifying professional identity as an invisible credential that mediated advocacy reach within the IEP process; (d) Burnout and What Sustains, examining the emotional labor and resiliency factors that shaped sustained engagement; and (e) When the System Goes Dark, addressing the relational impermanence and ambiguous loss embedded in foster, kinship, and adoptive caregiving. The study introduces the concept of an advocacy gradient--equivalent caregiver motivation but unequal institutional reach--and advances a three-part theoretical framework that integrates ecological, attachment, and ambiguous loss perspectives. Findings inform trauma-informed policy, IEP procedural reform, mandated educational handoffs during placement transitions, and caregiver mental health support across schools, child welfare agencies, and clinical settings.
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Details
- Title
- Invisible advocates
- Creators
- Robert R. Rogers
- Contributors
- Katherine Piselli (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- xiii, 190 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022189168504721