Displaying 61 - 70 of 279
Abstract
It has become essential for those in child welfare policy development to understand models of collaboration processes in foster care programs, if they are to help programs succeed and improve outcomes for children and families in foster care. This paper presents a qualitative evaluation model used by the Local Interagency Network for Children’s Services (LINCS), in Shasta County, California, as an example of evaluation of multisystems collaboration in child welfare services. This evaluation of a multisystems service delivery process includes key findings regarding day-to-day…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examined the long-term effects of Head Start on foster children's developmental outcomes from ages 3–4 to 8–9.
Method
187 children in the care of foster parents (either relatives or non-relatives) were selected among 4442 children from the Head Start Impact study data, collected during 2002-2009. Children’s cognitive, social-emotional, and health outcomes were measured at three time points: ages 3–4, 5–6, and 8–9.
Results…
Abstract
The current study examined the effects of implementing a new program model on the quality of relationships between direct care providers and residents in group care agencies. Children and Residential Experiences (CARE), an organization-wide program model that involves a range of structural change and staff-development activities, was implemented in 13 group care agencies in one Southeastern state. CARE implementation lasted three years and involved the application of six evidence-informed principles throughout the organization in order to create more therapeutic environments and…
Abstract
This qualitative study examines the Minnesota One-Stop for Communities Parent Mentor Program (MPMP). African American parents previously involved in the child welfare system conceptualized and spearheaded this program for parents currently involved in the system to reduce the involvement of families of color in child welfare, provide support and build protective factors. The MPMP exists alongside of, not as part of, state, county or tribal child welfare systems. This study included 15 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with parent mentors, parents and stakeholders, as well as…
Abstract
The open enrollment (OE) policy was designated to provide educationally disadvantaged students with equal access to schools with enriched educational resources that enhance student learning. Comparative analysis and linear mixed modeling with propensity score matching were used to identify the extent to which students involved with child protection service (CPS) utilized an inter-district open enrollment option and to examine their academic achievement before and after switching schools. Results indicated that open enrollment provided students involved with CPS better academic…
Abstract
Child welfare-involved homeless families are at greater risk of poor social and economic outcomes compared with homeless families not involved with child welfare, and these negative outcomes reverberate in terms of economic and social costs to society. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to examine process findings from a randomized control trial from the first county-level Pay for Success initiative, Partnering for Family Success. The research compared housing, child welfare and public assistance outcomes for the treatment (N = 90) and control (N…
Abstract
Youth in marginalized situations worldwide face similar challenges threatening their wellbeing. Strength-based, individually tailored community-based services that wrap around youth and families aid in promoting resilience, that is, the ability to thrive in the face of adversity. For more than 40 years, Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP) has provided such services to empower youth with complex challenges to live productively within their home environments by utilizing a blended Wraparound Advocate Service Model. In this article, a team of practitioners explores the basis,…
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
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 …
This guide from the Annie E. Casey Foundation in the United States explores authentic youth engagement, including how it benefits young people, why it works and what it looks like in real life. The guide outlines the approach of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, which works to ensure that young people — ages 14 to 26 in the United States who have spent at least one day in foster care after their 14th birthday — have the resources, relationships and opportunities to achieve well-being and success.
The guide reviews:
- The four components of authentic youth…