Displaying 11 - 20 of 70
Abstract
There is ample evidence that experiencing foster care in childhood often predicts grim outcomes in adulthood, including under-education and resulting poverty and dysfunction. However, little is known about the exact mechanisms through which foster care corrodes academic trajectories, specifically. The current study uses a nationally representative sample of adolescent foster youth (i.e., NSCAW II) to test a model of the influences of placement-related factors on school engagement – namely, foster youth’s perceptions of security in their foster placements, their reports of…
Abstract
We discuss implementing critical-theoretical pedagogy within a collaborative transformative project in a foster care program in the U.S. to showcase the activist role of the educator in providing tools of agency for youth struggling against oppression. This project aimed at enhancing and spurring the residents’ (adolescent boys’) agency through collaborative learning activities. The cornerstone was to explore the ethical-political dimensions of knowledge in connection with the boys’ own thematic universe, thus compelling them to take a stand on social and scientific issues in…
Abstract
Research over the past two decades has generally shown poor postsecondary educational outcomes for youth transitioning to adulthood from out-of-home care, but research on the topic is limited (Gypen L, Vanderfaeillie J, De Maeyer S, Belenger L, Van Holen F, Child Youth Serv Rev 76:74–83, 2017). The California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study (CalYOUTH) has been following the educational trajectories of a population-based sample of youth in out-of-home care into adulthood (Courtney et al., 2018). The study has followed 727 youth who were first interviewed in 2013 while still in…
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences foster alumni college students (i.e., students who, as adolescents, were in foster care or other out-of-home conditions) considered pertinent during their first year in college. Ten self-identified foster alumni college students in a south central state [of the United States] participated. Interviews, participant-produced drawings, and an online questionnaire were sources of data. Participants' experiences with trauma and lack of family support played prominent roles in their integrations into higher education, particularly in terms of…
Fostering Success in Education: Educational Outcomes of Students in Foster Care in the United States
Abstract
Supporting educational needs of students in foster care is a fundamental responsibility of child welfare agencies, education agencies, and courts. The systems and all other sectors of the community such as business, housing, health care, voluntary sector and faith-based organisations must work together to improve policies and practices. For more than a decade, momentum has grown at the federal, state and local levels to prioritize the educational needs of students in foster care. Increased data collection and reporting at state and local levels helps evaluate what programs are…
Abstract
Whether a child enters formal schooling with appropriate school readiness skills—the critical skills necessary to succeed—can influence that child’s academic and psychosocial trajectories throughout the school years. Children who have been placed into out-of-home care (OHC) during their preschool years may show deficits in their school readiness skills that increase their likelihood of academic failure, placement into special education, and leaving school prematurely. This chapter from the book …
Abstract
Research indicates that children in foster care are more likely than their non-foster care peers to be absent from school, have special education needs, and to experience traumatic life events. In turn, they are also less likely to graduate high school and to attend/graduate from college. The current study, which builds on this literature and was guided by an ecological framework, employed thematic analysis to explore Massachusetts foster youth’s academic challenges and supports through interviews with teachers (n = 19), foster parents (n = 14), former foster…
To help increase the college preparation of local foster youth in a Midwestern city, we developed a working group comprised of foster youth nominated by agency staff, staff from a university research center that sponsored and coordinated the program, local community leaders who work with foster youth, and city government representatives. One outcome of this working group was the development and implementation of the Reach Higher Outreach Program (hereafter Reach Higher), drawing on insights from existing scholarship and research (e.g., Emerson & Bassett, 2010; Strayhorn, 2011, 2012).
Abstract
The research on the challenges experienced by youth transitioning from foster care to college has expanded exponentially over the last 10 years. More recently, the growth of college programs to serve this population has also received attention in the literature. However, there is a dearth of literature specifically on pre-college programs that prepare youth for college. Using a case study approach, this article will review a pre-college summer program designed specifically for youth transitioning from foster care, the National Social Work Enrichment Program (NSEP). Key…
Abstract
Young children's experience of trauma is associated with a wide range of adverse events and circumstances, including abuse and neglect, domestic violence, loss of a parent, and community violence. Policymakers and practitioners are increasingly aware that trauma during the first few years of life is especially widespread, and there is growing interest in new ways to support these young children and their families. Many young children who experience trauma attend early care and education (ECE) programs, and these settings offer important opportunities to promote their well‐being.…