Negotiating Permanence for Young People in Long‐Term Foster Care: A Process of Co‐Creation Between Young People and Their Foster Carers

ABSTRACT Establishing permanence for young people growing up in care is widely recognized as central to promoting stability and positive outcomes. Historically, permanence has been understood primarily as a legal status; however, contemporary scholarship increasingly emphasizes relational permanence, highlighting the importance of enduring, supportive relationships. Although existing research indicates that young people value relational permanence over legal permanence, limited research has examined how relational permanence is established and sustained within long‐term foster care. This paper reports findings from an Irish qualitative study of 22 young adults (aged 20–30) who grew up in long‐term foster care and self‐identified as having experienced permanence. Semi‐structured interviews invited participants to reflect on their current lives and experiences of growing up in foster care. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings demonstrate that relational permanence is established through a dynamic process of co‐creation over time, involving both young people and their foster carers. These actions are conceptualized as ‘permanence display’, capturing how permanence is enacted and demonstrated within and beyond the foster family. The study advances understanding of permanence as a relational and negotiated process and identifies implications for social work policy and practice, particularly in supporting young people's transitions to adulthood.