Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Qualitative Study Exploring The Perceptions Of Social Workers Concerning Independent Living Programs In Conjunction With Post-Secondary Education After New Jersey Foster Youth "Age-Out" Of The Foster Care System, Patrick L. Beatty

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this research study is to investigate the perceptions of New Jersey social workers regarding potential barriers that may exist with foster care youth maturity development, independent living programs emphasizing foster care alumni post-secondary education achievement, and social worker departmental training relating to their understanding of independent living programs.

The design of this qualitative study focused on New Jersey Division of Children & Family volunteer participants consisting of three district office manager interviews, and three social worker focus group discussions from specific geographic locations throughout New Jersey. The interview and focus group questions were developed after comprehensive research …

Aging Out Of Foster Care, Johanna K.P. Greeson, Allison E. Thompson

Johanna K.P. Greeson, PhD, MSS, MLSP

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a significant developmental stage. When foster youth age out of the child welfare system, they are at risk of having to transition without family support. This chapter applies the life course perspective to describe the theoretical and contextual foundation that explains the hardships foster youth experience when emancipated from the US child welfare system. Next, the theoretical basis for natural mentoring among foster youth is explored using the resiliency perspective to frame the discussion. Then, current research on natural mentoring among foster youth is reviewed. Implications are drawn for US child welfare practice, …

Adjustment Differences In Teenage Children: Foster Care Versus Group Homes, Torrie Katya Ward

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The number of adolescents who are in the social welfare system is growing yearly due to a variety of family circumstances such as inadequate care for the adolescents, physical or mental abuse, and drug use or charges of some type. The purpose of this study was to explore the adjustment differences with adolescents who have been placed in foster care versus group homes. Using the qualitative design, six social work volunteers were interviewed regarding their general knowledge about the struggles of teenagers in foster care or group homes. Data were analyzed using both inductive and deductive approaches in which categories …

A Social Worker's Perspective On Youth Aging Out Of Foster Care, Rachael N. Morris

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to explore what social workers are doing to help youth age out of the foster care system. This research project gathered data in a qualitative study from social workers and how they help youth gain the needed skills to achieve self-sufficiency before they age out at age twenty-one. The researcher was able to obtain ten interviews from interviewees across the state of Minnesota. From the interviews, six themes had been established and categorized as the following: resources, the model or framework used in the work, supports, relationships youth have, approaches centered on youth strengths …

Continuing To Foster: The Impact On Foster To Adopt Families, Mariann Torrence

Honors College Theses

Foster parents play a critical role in the life of children in foster care. Increasingly more foster parents are becoming the adoptive resource for these children. This exploratory qualitative study examines the lives of five foster families located in the southeastern part of the United States who have adopted at least one foster child and continued fostering other children in their home. The data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. This research fills a gap in the literature on how adoptive families are affected by the decision to continue fostering. Five main themes emerged from this study: Intention, Financial Incentives, …

Student Perspectives On How Trauma Experiences Manifest In The Classroom: Engaging Court-Involved Youth In The Development Of A Trauma-Informed Teaching Curriculum, Shantel D. West, Angelique G. Day, Cheryl L. Somers, Beverly A. Baroni

Social Work Faculty Publications

This study explores how the lived experience of court-involved youth impacts learning and school culture, and solicits youth voice in creating a trauma-informed intervention to improve student educational well-being. Thirty-nine female students, ages 14 to 18, participated in focus groups to describe externalizing behaviors that they have both witnessed and personally struggled with in the classroom, discuss the perceived causes of these behaviors, and their suggestions for improving school culture to reduce these behavior manifestations in the classroom. Two major categories of behavior were identified, including: “anger emotions” and “aggressive actions.” Students described the causes of behavior as, “environmental influences” …

Put Him In Grandma's House: Investigating Variation In Kinship Policy And Procedure Across Ohio's County-Based Child Welfare System, Andreja M. Siliunas

Senior Independent Study Theses

Since 1980, the U.S. child welfare system has exhibited an increasing reliance upon kinship caregivers as a resource for children who have been removed from the homes of their birthparents due to allegations of abuse or neglect. Literature suggests that agencies differ considerably in their treatment of kinship care providers; however, limited research has been conducted examining the causes and implications of this variation, especially in the case of Ohio’s county-based system. The current study thus aims to define the distinguishing characteristics of kinship policies and procedures of child welfare agencies across Ohio, and to consider the impact of various …