Digital Commons Network^™

Child Welfare History Of Prison Inmates Would Provide Meaningful Data For Foster Care Policy Research And Planning, Maggie Zehring

Student Scholarship

Child welfare intervention in the United States continues to operate distinctly different in each states and community without a full picture of the overall system’s efficacy. While federal and state agencies collect extensive information on children’s movement in and out of the foster care system and related adjudication, there lacks a nationwide understanding of how kids fare after exiting the system. This note argues that Departments of Correction (DOC) nationwide should collect child‑welfare history from incarcerated individuals as part of existing intake procedures and regularly communicate the data for the federal Children’s Bureau to aggregate for longitudinal analysis of foster …

A Policy Analysis Of Higher Education Support For Foster Youth In The Colorado Child Welfare System, Krystal Robles

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This policy analysis examines how two Colorado laws, House Bill 22-1374 (Foster Care Success Act), and Senate Bill 22-008 (Higher Education Support for Foster Youth), aim to improve educational outcomes and long-term stability for youth who age out of the foster care system. Critical Policy Analysis (CPA) and Resilience Theory are used in this paper to examine how these policies address systemic inequities, promote resilience, and offer protective factors that support educational attainment. Using policy review, state policy comparison, stakeholder interviews, and community perspectives, I evaluated how the implementation, effectiveness, and limitations of these bills shape real-world impact. The findings …

The Portrayal Of Caseworker Turnover In New York State Foster Care Assessment Documents, Shelby S. Cover-Lapomarede

Student Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines how caseworker turnover is portrayed in New York State foster care assessment documents published between 2014 and 2024. Utilizing a qualitative content analysis (QCA) approach informed by Margrit Schreier’s methodology, this study evaluates publicly available government reports, assessment documents, policy documents, and audit reports to identify how turnover is represented, what causes are highlighted, and what consequences are downplayed. The data reveals that turnover is often framed as an administrative issue rather than a workplace welfare crisis with extensive emotional and relational impacts on caseworkers, children, and families. Burnout, heavy caseloads, inadequate mental health care, low pay, …

Maltreatment In Out-Of-Home Care: Former Foster Youths' Perspectives On Experiences And Investigation, Sarah Avila

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

One of the tasks of the public child welfare system (PCWS) is to remove children from their home when abuse or neglect has occurred at a level that warrants removal. The PCWS places these children in licensed foster homes under the assumption that they will be safe and nurtured under the care of licensed foster caregivers. However, previous research have consistently shown that children experience ongoing maltreatment while in out-of-home care. This negligence is especially alarming when considering the United States’ rates of children in the foster care system. Despite the prevalence of this issue, little qualitative studies have been …

Children In Foster Care: Outcomes And Nursing Implications, Rachel A. Joseph, Emily Etterman

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

Background: Approximately 407,000 children remained in the foster care system by the end of 2020, with 217,000 entering and 224,000 exiting the system. The foster care system is meant to be a temporary living arrangement for children born into or raised in non-flourishing homes. However, the uniqueness of the system and the interactions of foster parents lead to undesirable foster home situations while the child is left in the system for longer times. The child in foster care faces several adverse life events that make it difficult for the child to develop into a successful adult. Purpose: This paper examines …

A Qualitative Inquiry Into The (In)Visibility Of Black Women Leaders In Social Work, Jere Murry

Theses and Dissertations

Black women are vital contributors and innovators within the American workforce yet remain underrepresented in executive leadership roles in most employment settings. Despite the contributions Black women have made, our continued marginalization is a direct result of systemic oppression and institutionalized racism, which persistently deny Black women opportunities for leadership ascension (Beckwith et al., 2016; Collins, 2000; Crenshaw et al., 1995; Wilkerson, 2020). This qualitative narrative approach explores the stories of Black women leaders employed in the child welfare and foster care system, illuminating the challenges, including systemic barriers, limited mentorship, and inequitable career advancement practices. This study examines the …

Developing A College Readiness Skills Program Aimed At Improving Self-Efficacy For Foster Youth In Academic Settings, Natasa Janjusic

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The proposed work focused on the development and feasibility of a project aiming to introduce college readiness skills to youth who were in the foster care system in order to increase their perception of self-efficacy in an educational setting. With this increase in self-efficacy, foster youth who are generally disadvantaged when attaining and completing a college degree can have the skills necessary to combat this barrier. The project involved the development of contents of the program and the procedures performed at Bamboo Sunrise Foster Care Agency, where this Capstone project was carried out. Participants in the program consisted of three …

Getting Out And Getting In: Assets And Barriers To Transitioning From Foster Care To Higher Education, Stacie K. Pettit, Ann Digirolamo

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Students in foster care have lower rates of college entry than same-grade peers. This presentation will share results on perceived barriers and facilitators to pursuing post-secondary education among youth and caregivers involved in foster care, sharing relevant resources and policies available to assist youth and families.

Applying Social Bond Theory To Foster Care Instability And Justice System Contact, Therin P. Foley

Honors College Theses

While placing a child in foster care is often in an effort to protect them and their future, it does not always fully succeed. Placement in foster care has been found to be highly unstable. Additionally, it has been linked to an increase in individuals’ likelihood to engage in delinquent and criminal behavior. This thesis looks at the possibility that these two aspects may be related through Hirschi’s (1969) Social Bond theory. It examines available data from ten different states in order to explore this idea. The results of this investigation show that the instability of the foster care system …

Annual Credit Checks For Adolescent Youth In Foster Care: Factors Associated With Identity Fraud Victimization, John Gyourko, Johanna K. P. Greeson

Department of Social Work - Faculty Scholarship

Child identity fraud, or the criminal exploitation of a child’s personal data, poses serious risks and challenges for youth in foster care. Despite the 10-year history of a federal mandate requiring state child welfare agencies to conduct annual credit checks for adolescent foster youth (42 U.S.C. § 675), identity fraud has received scant attention in child welfare research. Analyzing a state-level administrative dataset with linked child welfare and consumer credit records, we employed logistic regression to assess demographic and foster care placement factors associated with identity fraud victimization among a statewide population cohort of 1,176 youth (age 14 to …

Standardization Of Care For Transition-Age Youth At Emancipation: An Analysis Of Service Provision, Sarah K. Sheffield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Department of Children and Families notes community-based care (CBC) agencies are competent entities who present with their own method of service delivery and design. Recent evaluations show concerns in service selection to include a tendency to choose programming based on face validity, a lack of capacity and availability of services by geographical location, and a failure to systematically encompass stakeholder voice. The purpose of this study was to gain insight on how agencies make decisions regarding the selection of services for transition-age youth at emancipation.

A set of direct care providers from CBC and non-profit agencies participated in …

Falling Through The Cracks: The American Indian Foster Care To Sexual Exploitation Pipeline And The Need For Expanded American Indian Community Services In Minnesota, Sadie Hart

DePaul Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

In Their Own Words: An Exploration Of The Educational Experiences Of Black, Indigenous Girls And Gender Expansive Youth Of Color In Foster Care, Franchesca Ocasio

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Research on Black, Indigenous, and girls and gender expansive youth of color in foster care is limited. Though, existing research in education, sociology, and psychology suggests that these individuals enter foster care at higher rates than their counterparts due to interpersonal and structural violence. In the system, racialized and gendered stereotypes influence how they are perceived by educators and lead to increased discipline in schools. Given this landscape, this work seeks to understand the educational experiences of BIPOC girls and gender-expansive youth in foster care and the ways they navigate mistreatment by educators. In the tradition of Critical Race Theorists, …

Creating A Strong Legal Preference For Kinship Care, Joshua Gupta-Kagan

Faculty Scholarship

One new to our field would be forgiven for thinking that the law must favor placing foster children with kin rather than with strangers. After all, individuals and organizations from across the ideological spectrum endorse kinship care, government publications describe kinship care as “the preferred resource” for placing children who cannot live at home with a parent and, after steady increases over multiple decades, authorities now place more than one-third of all foster children with kin. And decades of evidence establish that kinship care is generally more stable and serves children’s health and well-being better than living with strangers, a …

The Experiences Of Older Youth In And Aged Out Of Foster Care During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Material And Financial Well-Being By Foster Care Status, Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, Ethnicity, And Race, Johanna K. P. Greeson, John Gyourko, Sara Jaffee, Sarah Wasch

Department of Social Work - Faculty Scholarship

As a marginalized, under-resourced population, older youth with foster care experience are acutely vulnerable to the economic and social harms wrought by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study summarizes findings from an online survey deployed in April 2020 to learn about the experiences of current and former foster youth (ages 18 to 23) during one month of the COVID-19 crisis. Using purposive sampling and a cross-sectional design, the survey yielded a final analysis sample of 281 respondents from 32 states and 192 cities or districts. Findings underscore the pervasive negative impacts of COVID-19 on respondents’ housing/living situations, food security, employment, …

Giving A Voice To Children In Foster Care Through Narrative Puppetry And Storytelling, Lindsay Beebe

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Abstract Children in foster care are typically under the direction of adults and are rarely given a chance to share their voices. Whether it be the confusion they have regarding what led them to be placed in foster care, hopes for their future, or what they require to feel safe and supported in their foster home, it is rare for children in foster care to be given the opportunity to communicate their experiences in a creative and safe environment where they are encouraged to play and be the experts of their experience. The placement of a child into the foster …

Providing Trauma-Informed Care For Children In The Foster Care System, Hannah Genn

Senior Honors Theses

Foster parents need to be trained in trauma-informed approaches and how to identify previous traumas in order to understand how their foster children’s past experiences of abuse or neglect manifest as mental disorders, social challenges, or behavioral concerns. Warning signs for depression or post-traumatic stress disorder should be noted, and youth should be taught how to foster healthy relationships in order to prevent substance abuse, irresponsible sexual activity, or academic failing. Foster parents can provide additional support by creating reasonable expectations for their foster children, teaching effective coping skills, and connecting with available resources.

Dynamic Expansion: An Exploration Of Hospitality And Its Application To Foster Children And Families In Crisis, Sean Dean

Doctor of Ministry

The concept of hospitality has many applications. This dissertation is an exploration of hospitality using the American foster system as an example of how hospitality can be applied to an at-risk group.

Chapter 1 looks at the state foster care. There is an exploration of the two main reasons children enter foster care: neglect and drug offenses. Lastly, there is a look at the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study and how its results are contributing factors to the current state of foster care in the United States. Chapters 2 and 3 delve into the concept of hospitality, what it is …

Autism And The Foster Care System In Kentucky, Caroline Clark

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

According to the CDC, one in 59 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Centers for Diseases and Prevention, 2020). More than 10% of those in the foster care system also have an autism diagnosis. The purpose of this project was to understand the general public’s knowledge and beliefs about both subjects. I conducted this study to identify any misconceptions, assumed facts, and opinions about both foster care and autism. I collected these data through anonymous surveys. The data were then analyzed and examined to create an app to benefit current and future foster parents who foster individuals with autism.

Stuck Kids: Fostering Permanence For Families Receiving Services Through The Massachusetts Department Of Mental Health, Molly Houston

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

"Residential housing has become the last resort for young people who cannot receive the support and/or safety they need from their own families or from foster families, or who pose a danger to others. While residential housing can be highly effective at its initial purpose of providing respite and training for families and children, some children become long-term residents of these care institutions, spending years or even aging out while living in residential care. Research has demonstrated negative outcomes in the social, medical, emotional, and economic domains of out-of-home care as a permanent solution for children. Similar to many agencies …

Social Support Experiences Of Stably Housed Emancipated Foster Youth, Camron L. Whitacre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth emancipating from foster care are at increased risk of housing instability and homelessness and have reduced access to needed social supports to aid in the difficult transition to independent living. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived formal social support experiences of stably housed emancipated foster youth. Purposive sampling techniques and inclusion criteria guided the recruitment of nine study participants from a state-administered postemancipation services program to take part in semistructured interviews. A conceptual framework, including social convoy and attachment theories, informed inquiry, and interpretation of findings. Participant lived experiences illuminated the importance of …

Evaluating The Effects Of A Brief Assertiveness And Help Seeking Skill Intervention, Madeline S. Blocker

LSU Master's Theses

Children in foster care lead their lives at an increased risk for mental health issues that are often complicated by the unstable and unpredictable nature of their living arrangements and interpersonal relationships. As such, there is substantial need to examine brief therapies and interventions for use with children in foster care and children who have experienced similar trauma and instability. Mental health care providers for children in foster care often may not have sufficient periods of time to implement treatment with fidelity. The present study investigated the efficacy of a summer camp based, brief behavioral intervention targeting help-seeking behavior and …

Photovoice To Improve Postsecondary Success Among Foster Care Emerging Adults, Dana Hill

Social Work Theses - Archive

Refer to document

Community Engagement In Writing Programs: Preparing Students For Success In Professional Settings, Courtney Bradford

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

This practicum focused on looking into the history of the foster care system, its development, and its modern iteration and on working with a nonprofit that supports the foster care system. The internship with Advocates for Children in Cartersville, Georgia, provided primary research into (1) how work on community-based engagement projects prepared me to explore careers in the nonprofit sector, (2) what kinds of writing, research, and other deliverables are needed by nonprofits supporting the foster care system and how the MAPW program prepared me to produce those deliverables, and (3) how having a strong understanding of the history and …

Helping Parents Navigate The Child Welfare System: Partnering With Casa To Create Self-Advocacy Resource Kits, Amanda Warnock

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

There are 442,995 children in contact with child welfare systems in the U.S. today (HHS, 2018). While some children represented in this statistic were victims of abuse, such as physical (12%) or sexual abuse (4%), many of these children and their families come to the attention of child protection authorities because of neglect (62%), meaning that their parents/caregivers lack adequate resources to properly provide and care for their dependent children (HHS, 2018). For some families, involvement with child protection authorities means being separated–with children placed in foster care and parents working through the court-mandated requirements in order to be reunified …

A Population-Based Study On The Correlates Of Trauma And Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Behaviors Among Adolescents Aging Out Of Foster Care., Jennifer Artis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children in foster care are confirmed victims of maltreatment who may suffer from chronic trauma. These adverse childhood experiences will often increase the risk of physical and psychological adversities such as self-harm (SH), substance abuse, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), heart disease, depression, etc. Based on previous and current research studies, youth in foster care are less likely to receive adequate treatment for their self-harm behaviors and mental health needs. Failing to provide proper treatment could lead to harmful activities such as deliberate self-harm and potential suicide. This population-based study focuses on the prevalence of SH among youth in foster …

Who Speaks For Me?: Addressing Variability In Informed Consent Practices For Minimal Risk Research Involving Foster Youth, Mary V. Greiner, Sarah J. Beal, Antonio Allen, Vikash Patel, Jareen Meinzen-Derr, Armand Antommaria

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Background: Youth in protective custody (i.e., foster care) are at higher risk for poorer physical and mental health outcomes compared with those who are not. These differences may be due in part to the lack of research on the population to create evidence-based recommendations for health care delivery. A potential contributor to this lack of research is difficulties in obtaining informed consent for empirical studies in this population. The objective of this study was to describe the approaches to obtaining informed consent in minimal risk studies of foster youth and provide recommendations for future requirements.

Methods: We conducted a …

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Foster Youth Who Obtained Graduate Level Degrees: Self-Efficacy, Resilience, And The Impact On Identity Development, Cristina Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of former foster youth who have completed graduate level academic programs in order to discover and describe the elements that these individuals believe led to their academic success. The primary research question for this study was: what do former foster youth who completed graduate level programs report as elements that contributed to their academic success? The researcher utilized a qualitative approach and portraiture methodology. In depth, interviews were conducted with six individuals, three women and three men, who spent time in foster care and later went on to …

Crossover Youth Prevention: Predictors Of Youth Crossover From Child Welfare To Juvenile Justice, Marcus R. Crawford

Social Work Dissertations - Archive

By some estimates, as many as 60% of youth in the juvenile justice system have previous experience in the child welfare system, with delinquency rates among youth in foster care about 50% higher than among youth not involved in foster care (Ryan & Testa, 2005; Sickmund & Puzzanchera, 2014). Identifying factors that impact crossing over from the child protective system into the juvenile justice system is essential to developing interventions targeting youth success and derailing the criminal pathway of many United States adolescents. Decades of research have shown that youth who enter foster care are at an increased risk for …

The Impact Of Length Of Stay On Therapeutic Effectiveness Of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care, Dawn M. Breikss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth who are placed in the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) program come from families with multiple risk factors. The MTFC program is based on social learning theory, which posits that youth learn from modeling those in their environment. It is unclear whether motivation for social learning decreases over time. Past research has indicated that there is an efficacious time period for treatment in the MTFC program (6 to 9 months). The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the behavior effects of remaining in treatment foster care for an extended length of time. This was measured through pre- …