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“I have my family right here”: Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and peer support among a cohort of fosterscholars

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Listed:
  • Mountz, Sarah
  • Pan, Shaoji
  • Dyett, Jordan
  • Johnson, Angeleek
  • Anderson, Amiri
  • Jarvis, Jael
  • Ng, Adriana
  • Palmer-Tibbs, Asia
  • Snow, Selena
  • Vasquez, Nikolas

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a focus group conducted as part of a larger Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) study with a cohort of university students with experience in foster care. Six foster scholars (ages 18–21) participated in a research collective offered as a collaboration between the School of Social Welfare and the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) at a large Northeastern public research university. Over the course of several semesters, students received an overview of research methods, evaluated existing research regarding the educational outcomes of youth with foster care experience, then designed an interview guide for a focus group that they later participated in. Focus group data was transcribed and then analyzed in two ways, first through thematic content analysis using ATLAS TI qualitative software, and simultaneously through participatory narrative analysis using an adapted version of Carol Gilligan’s Listening Guide. The cluster of findings presented in this paper highlights co-researchers’ experiences of a YPAR approach to research. Three themes emerged: validation of experience and peer support, connection to available resources, and YPAR as a tool of collective action and empowerment. An overview of the significant actions and change efforts associated with the YPAR process is also provided. Findings highlight the importance of peer support and the possibility of participatory research approaches in catalyzing peer connectivity and agency among foster scholars in higher education. Integrating youth voice and perspective to the existing body of knowledge about youth with foster care experience in higher education adds an important perspective needed to more holistically understand what resources and supports are most critical in ensuring their success. Recommendations are made for both universities and child welfare scholars desiring to center the voices and experiences of youth with foster care experience.

Suggested Citation

  • Mountz, Sarah & Pan, Shaoji & Dyett, Jordan & Johnson, Angeleek & Anderson, Amiri & Jarvis, Jael & Ng, Adriana & Palmer-Tibbs, Asia & Snow, Selena & Vasquez, Nikolas, 2023. "“I have my family right here”: Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and peer support among a cohort of fosterscholars," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:155:y:2023:i:c:s0190740923004036
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107207
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Randolph, Karen A. & Thompson, Heather, 2017. "A systematic review of interventions to improve post-secondary educational outcomes among foster care alumni," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 602-611.
    2. Thompson, Heather M. & Wojciak, Armeda Stevenson & Cooley, Morgan E., 2016. "Self-esteem: A mediator between peer relationships and behaviors of adolescents in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 109-116.
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    6. Shamrova, Daria P. & Cummings, Cristy E., 2017. "Participatory action research (PAR) with children and youth: An integrative review of methodology and PAR outcomes for participants, organizations, and communities," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 400-412.
    7. Dworsky, Amy & Pérez, Alfred, 2010. "Helping former foster youth graduate from college through campus support programs," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 255-263, February.
    8. Kirk, Rosalind & Day, Angelique, 2011. "Increasing college access for youth aging out of foster care: Evaluation of a summer camp program for foster youth transitioning from high school to college," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 1173-1180, July.
    9. Mountz, Sarah & Capous-Desyllas, Moshoula, 2020. "Exploring the families of origin of LGBTQ former foster youth and their trajectories throughout care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    10. Day, Angelique & Dworsky, Amy & Fogarty, Kieran & Damashek, Amy, 2011. "An examination of post-secondary retention and graduation among foster care youth enrolled in a four-year university," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(11), pages 2335-2341.
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