IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v120y2021ics0190740920321393.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Informal mentoring among foster youth entering higher education

Author

Listed:
  • Gowdy, Grace
  • Hogan, Sean

Abstract

Informal mentoring, anaturally-occurringcaring relationship with a non-parental adult, has been shown to promote positive outcomes for young people, including youth transitioning out of the foster care system. Although we often talk about mentoring as one homogenous experience, recent research has demonstrated there are important variations in who mentors are and what supports they offer. Using survey data provided on youths’ social networks, this study identified 378 informal mentoring relationships provided to 113 former and current foster youth preparing to enter a four-year university. Cluster analysis identified two primary types of mentoring relationships in accordance with previous literature: core and capital mentoring. Following the cluster analysis, type of mentoring relationship was examined across various types of support (instrumental, informational, and emotional support). Findings indicated core mentoring relationships were more predominantly associated with instrumental support, while capital mentoring related more closely with informational support. There were no significant differences between mentoring type and emotional support or youth-rated closeness to mentor. The implications for facilitating socio-emotional support for foster youth are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Gowdy, Grace & Hogan, Sean, 2021. "Informal mentoring among foster youth entering higher education," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:120:y:2021:i:c:s0190740920321393
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105716
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740920321393
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105716?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Spencer, Renée & Drew, Alison L. & Gowdy, Grace & Horn, John Paul, 2018. "“A positive guiding hand”: A qualitative examination of youth-initiated mentoring and the promotion of interdependence among foster care youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 41-50.
    2. Dworsky, A. & Napolitano, L. & Courtney, M., 2013. "Homelessness during the transition from foster care to adulthood," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(S2), pages 318-323.
    3. Havlicek, Judy R. & Garcia, Antonio R. & Smith, Douglas C., 2013. "Mental health and substance use disorders among foster youth transitioning to adulthood: Past research and future directions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 194-203.
    4. Blakeslee, Jennifer E., 2015. "Measuring the support networks of transition-age foster youth: Preliminary validation of a social network assessment for research and practice," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 123-134.
    5. Ahrens, Kym R. & DuBois, David Lane & Garrison, Michelle & Spencer, Renee & Richardson, Laura P. & Lozano, Paula, 2011. "Qualitative exploration of relationships with important non-parental adults in the lives of youth in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 1012-1023, June.
    6. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Best, Jared I., 2019. "Understanding support network capacity during the transition from foster care: Youth-identified barriers, facilitators, and enhancement strategies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 220-230.
    7. Thompson, Allison E. & Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Brunsink, Ashleigh M., 2016. "Natural mentoring among older youth in and aging out of foster care: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 40-50.
    8. Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Usher, Lynn & Grinstein-Weiss, Michal, 2010. "One adult who is crazy about you: Can natural mentoring relationships increase assets among young adults with and without foster care experience?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 565-577, April.
    9. Munson, Michelle R. & McMillen, J. Curtis, 2009. "Natural mentoring and psychosocial outcomes among older youth transitioning from foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 104-111, January.
    10. Best, Jared I. & Blakeslee, Jennifer E., 2020. "Perspectives of youth aging out of foster care on relationship strength and closeness in their support networks," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    11. Zinn, Andrew, 2017. "Predictors of natural mentoring relationships among former foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 564-575.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth & Haight, Wendy & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C. & Cho, Minhae & Suleiman, Johara & Park, Sookyoung, 2023. "Re-orienting narratives of moral injury towards positive development: The experiences of emerging adults with child welfare histories," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Okland, Idun & Oterholm, Inger, 2022. "Strengthening supportive networks for care leavers: A scoping review of social support interventions in child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    2. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Kothari, Brianne H. & Miller, Rebecca A., 2023. "Intervention development to improve foster youth mental health by targeting coping self-efficacy and help-seeking," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    3. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Best, Jared I., 2019. "Understanding support network capacity during the transition from foster care: Youth-identified barriers, facilitators, and enhancement strategies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 220-230.
    4. Best, Jared I. & Blakeslee, Jennifer E., 2020. "Perspectives of youth aging out of foster care on relationship strength and closeness in their support networks," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Zinn, Andrew, 2017. "Predictors of natural mentoring relationships among former foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 564-575.
    6. Thompson, Allison E. & Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Brunsink, Ashleigh M., 2016. "Natural mentoring among older youth in and aging out of foster care: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 40-50.
    7. Duke, Taylor & Farruggia, Susan P. & Germo, Gary R., 2017. "“I don't know where I would be right now if it wasn't for them”: Emancipated foster care youth and their important non-parental adults," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 65-73.
    8. Klodnick, Vanessa V. & Johnson, Rebecca P. & Morris, Cory & Cohen, Deborah A. & Sapiro, Beth & Schneider, Ava & Fagan, Marc A., 2021. "Shifting from receiver to provider: Aging out of semi-institutional child welfare settings with serious mental health diagnoses," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    9. Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Garcia, Antonio R. & Kim, Minseop & Thompson, Allison E. & Courtney, Mark E., 2015. "Development & maintenance of social support among aged out foster youth who received independent living services: Results from the Multi-Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1-9.
    10. Ruff, Saralyn C. & Harrison, Kristi, 2020. "“Ask Me What I Want”: Community-based participatory research to explore transition-age foster Youth’s use of support services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    11. Blakeslee, Jennifer E., 2015. "Measuring the support networks of transition-age foster youth: Preliminary validation of a social network assessment for research and practice," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 123-134.
    12. Jay Miller, J. & Benner, Kalea & Kheibari, Athena & Washington, Earl, 2017. "Conceptualizing on-campus support programs for collegiate foster youth and alumni: A plan for action," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 57-67.
    13. Salazar, Amy M. & Roe, Stephanie S. & Ullrich, Jessica S. & Haggerty, Kevin P., 2016. "Professional and youth perspectives on higher education-focused interventions for youth transitioning from foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 23-34.
    14. Kelly, Cara & Thornton, Anthony & Anthony, Elizabeth K. & Krysik, Judy, 2021. "“Love. Stability. Boundaries.” Kinship perspectives of social-emotional well-being of youth residing in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    15. Kothari, Brianne H. & Blakeslee, Jennifer & Miller, Rebecca, 2020. "Individual and interpersonal factors associated with psychosocial functioning among adolescents in foster care: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    16. Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Thompson, Allison E. & Ali, Samira & Wenger, Rebecca Stern, 2015. "It's good to know that you got somebody that's not going anywhere: Attitudes and beliefs of older youth in foster care about child welfare-based natural mentoring," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 140-149.
    17. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit & Tayri-Schwartz, Talia, 2021. "The role of natural mentoring and sense of belonging in enhancing resilience among youth in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    18. Spencer, Renée & Drew, Alison L. & Gowdy, Grace & Horn, John Paul, 2018. "“A positive guiding hand”: A qualitative examination of youth-initiated mentoring and the promotion of interdependence among foster care youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 41-50.
    19. Lohmeyer, Ben Arnold & Robert McGregor, Joel & Crittenden, Zoe & Hartung, Catherine, 2024. "Mentoring for care-experienced young people: A rapid review of program design," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    20. Cassarino-Perez, Luciana & Crous, Gemma & Goemans, Anouk & Montserrat, Carme & Sarriera, Jorge Castellà, 2018. "From care to education and employment: A meta-analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 407-416.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:120:y:2021:i:c:s0190740920321393. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.