Displaying 1 - 10 of 19
Background
The Youth Research Academy (YRA) is a group of young people aged 16 to 24 with experience of the government care system. They are trained to carry out research projects that can help benefit youth in and from care throughout BC. This cohort has been meeting online twice a week since June 2021, and includes two peer mentors who took part in previous YRA cohorts. For this report, the group planned what analyses to carry out on the topic of mental health among youth with care experience. The analyses were based on questions from the 2018 BC Adolescent Health Survey (BC AHS…
Abstract
Youth with experience in foster care encounter complex institutionalized power and oppression relations in the foster care system. When youth emancipate out of the foster care system, they often do not experience the freedom or agency that the notion of emancipation implies. Such power and oppression relations can be further manifested in research processes and practice. This paper discusses how research related to youth with experience in foster care can be conducted in an emancipatory manner with researchers actively supporting the liberation of youth with experience in foster…
Abstract
A number of psychological factors have been found to be relevant in terms of problematic use of digital devices. Some of them may serve as risk factors, while others mean protection. The main goal of present study was to determine user profiles and to examine differences among them based on several psychological variables using cluster analysis. Data were collected from high school and university students via an online questionnaire from November 2017 to January 2018 (N = 249; females: 62.2%, Mean age = 22.5 years, SD=3.5). Based on bivariate correlations, sensation seeking, flow…
Abstract:
This research utilized Indigenous methodologies rooted in oral traditions, storytelling practices, and the Medicine Wheel teachings to examine how individuals, families, communities, social workers, and organizations can assist Indigenous youth who are aging-out of foster care and are transitioning into adulthood. The methods of inquiry included five one-on-one Story-Sharing Sessions with Indigenous adults who previously aged-out of care in British Columbia, and two Talking Circles comprised of ten Community Helpers including Elders, Mentors, Educators, and Foster Parents; and…
Abstract
This qualitative interview study examined experiences of youth-initiated mentoring relationships (YIM) among youth transitioning out of the foster care system. YIM is an innovative approach wherein programs work with youth to identify adults within their existing social networks to serve as their mentors in the formal program. Participants were 13 mentor-youth dyads involved in a pilot trial of YIM in a mid-western city. Youth and mentors completed one-time, in-depth individual interviews. Narrative thematic analysis of the interview data yielded the following major…
Abstract
First Nations communities are seeking to improve current service delivery models and create alternative evidence-based strategies. A First Nations child welfare organization has prioritized further understanding of reunification and parenting, including identification of successes and barriers to reunification, and service needs within communities. These priorities were addressed with a community-based participatory research model and guided by a Research Advisory. Results were analysed using a blend of grounded theory and thematic analysis techniques. Participants indicated that…
Abstract
Rigorous research on the efficacy of family group conferencing is rare. This randomized control trial study used an intent-to-treat approach to examine whether a referral to a family group conference (FGC) was associated with re-referrals, substantiated re-referrals, or out-of-home placements among child welfare-involved families receiving in-home services. We found no significant associations between treatment and control group assignment and the three outcomes for the sample as a whole. However, families with more children had higher odds of a re-referral and a…
Abstract
The aim of this study is to show young people's feelings about their experiences with participation in decision-making in public care. The study is based on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with eight young adults in the public child protection system in a northeastern state in the U.S. conducted between 2015 and 2016. All study participants had made both positive and negative experiences with participation. Most reported negative experiences at the point of their first entry into care, and most reported positive experiences when signing themselves back into the care of the…
Abstract
A case study approach was utilized to investigate individually and as a group, the aging out process of nine sexual minority adults, specifically, lesbian, gay and transgender (LGT) adults who transitioned from a Mid-Atlantic foster care system to adulthood. The study investigated the preparation received prior to these young adults aging out of foster care and addressed the role that they perceived their sexual orientation or gender expression played in their process of aging out of foster care to adulthood. In addition, the study examined their current housing…
Abstract
Summary Numerous research studies have addressed the experiences and outcomes of youth transitioning out of foster care; however, far fewer have addressed how to overcome the challenge of locating and retaining research participants from this population. This article contributes to the field by highlighting effective approaches to staying connected with (i.e., recruiting, relocating, and retaining) youth participants in longitudinal research studies. Two hundred ninety-four youth in the Southeastern United States participated in a longitudinal research study…