Young people in the United States foster care system face unique challenges related to their involvement in the system, often stemming from placement instability, disconnected policy and action, and an overburdened child welfare system. These experiences often result in limited opportunities for self-advocacy and change, difficulties forming quality relationships with peers and important adults, and barriers to academic and independent living success. There is a dire need for theoretically grounded, empirical work that can guide lawmakers, social workers, clinicians, foster/kinship parents, and youth in foster care themselves towards more positive, self-determined experiences within and beyond the system. This review advances Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, Deci and Ryan, The Journal of Mind and Behavior 1:33–43, 1980) as an under-utilized yet particularly well-suited theoretical framework to guide research that will achieve these aims. After introducing the SDT framework and its clear relevance to critical issues in foster care research, this review articulates an SDT-guided research agenda centered on advancing youths’ well-being, specifically by promoting the achievement of SDT’s three core psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This review also identifies future directions for research applying the SDT framework as a means to better understand and advance the “best interests” of young people in the foster care system.

美国寄养系统的年轻人面临着与他们参与系统有关的独特挑战，这些挑战往往源于安置的不稳定、政策和行动的脱节以及不堪重负的儿童福利系统。这些经历通常会导致自我倡导和改变的机会有限，难以与同龄人和重要的成年人建立高质量的关系，以及学术和独立生活成功的障碍。迫切需要有理论基础的实证工作，可以指导立法者、社会工作者、临床医生、寄养/亲属父母和寄养青年自己在系统内外获得更积极、更自主的经历。本综述推进了自我决定理论 （SDT;Deci & Ryan， Deci and Ryan， The Journal of Mind and Behavior 1：33–43， 1980）作为一个未被充分利用但特别适合指导研究以实现这些目标的理论框架。在介绍了 SDT 框架及其与寄养研究中关键问题的明确相关性之后，本综述阐明了一个以促进青少年福祉为中心的 SDT 指导的研究议程，特别是通过促进实现 SDT 的三个核心心理需求自主性、能力和相关性。本综述还确定了应用 SDT 框架作为更好地了解和促进寄养系统中年轻人的 “最大利益” 的一种手段的未来研究方向。