IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v34y2012i6p1084-1091.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Interventions aiming to improve school achievements of children in out-of-home care: A scoping review

Author

Listed:
  • Forsman, Hilma
  • Vinnerljung, Bo

Abstract

The educational underachievement of children in out-of-home care has been known for decades. In this scoping review, we compiled and analyzed – with a narrative approach – evaluated interventions that aimed to improve foster children's school achievements. Despite a comprehensive searching strategy, only eleven relevant studies were found, indicating that little has been done in intervention research to improve educational outcomes for children in public care. Nine out of the eleven interventions reported some positive results. Literacy was improved in most studies, while evaluated attempts to enhance numeracy skills yielded mixed results. Positive results came from a range of different interventions, e.g. tutoring projects and structured individualized support. We conclude that most focused interventions seem to improve foster children's poor academic achievements, but tutoring projects have so far the best empirical support from evaluations with rigorous designs. Also there's a definite need for more intervention research.

Suggested Citation

  • Forsman, Hilma & Vinnerljung, Bo, 2012. "Interventions aiming to improve school achievements of children in out-of-home care: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1084-1091.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:34:y:2012:i:6:p:1084-1091
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.01.037
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740912000606
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.01.037?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. Pecora, Peter J. & Kessler, Ronald C. & O'Brien, Kirk & White, Catherine Roller & Williams, Jason & Hiripi, Eva & English, Diana & White, James & Herrick, Mary Anne, 2006. "Educational and employment outcomes of adults formerly placed in foster care: Results from the Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(12), pages 1459-1481, December.
    2. Flynn, Robert J. & Marquis, Robyn A. & Paquet, Marie-Pierre & Peeke, Lisa M. & Aubry, Tim D., 2012. "Effects of individual direct-instruction tutoring on foster children's academic skills: A randomized trial," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1183-1189.
    3. Dalen, Monica & Hjern, Anders & Lindblad, Frank & Odenstad, Anna & Ramussen, Finn & Vinnerljung, Bo, 2008. "Educational attainment and cognitive competence in adopted men -- A study of international and national adoptees, siblings and a general Swedish population," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(10), pages 1211-1219, October.
    4. Harper, Julie & Schmidt, Fred, 2012. "Preliminary effects of a group-based tutoring program for children in long-term foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1176-1182.
    5. Berlin, Marie & Vinnerljung, Bo & Hjern, Anders, 2011. "School performance in primary school and psychosocial problems in young adulthood among care leavers from long term foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 2489-2497.
    6. Cook, Ronna J., 1994. "Are we helping foster care youth prepare for their future?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(3-4), pages 213-229.
    7. Trout, Alexandra L. & Hagaman, Jessica & Casey, Kathryn & Reid, Robert & Epstein, Michael H., 2008. "The academic status of children and youth in out-of-home care: A review of the literature," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(9), pages 979-994, September.
    8. Stone, Susan, 2007. "Child maltreatment, out-of-home placement and academic vulnerability: A fifteen-year review of evidence and future directions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 139-161, February.
    9. Vinnerljung, Bo & Hjern, Anders, 2011. "Cognitive, educational and self-support outcomes of long-term foster care versus adoption. A Swedish national cohort study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1902-1910, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Evans, Rhiannon & Hallett, Sophie & Rees, Alyson & Roberts, Louise, 2016. "The acceptability of educational Interventions: Qualitative evidence from children and young people in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 68-76.
    2. Brännström, Lars & Vinnerljung, Bo & Hjern, Anders, 2015. "Risk factors for teenage childbirths among child welfare clients: Findings from Sweden," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 44-51.
    3. Hansson, Åse & Gustafsson, Jan-Eric & Nielsen, Bo, 2018. "Special needs education and school mobility: School outcomes for children placed and not placed in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 589-597.
    4. Goulet, Julie & Maltais, Christine & Archambault, Isabelle & Noël, Véronique & Guériton, Muriel, 2024. "Supporting academic achievement of children in out-of-home care through effective interventions: results of a systematic review and meta-analyses," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    5. Lindner, Abigail Rose & Hanlon, Ryan, 2024. "Outcomes of youth with foster care experiences based on permanency outcome – Adoption, aging out, long-term foster care, and reunification: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    6. Ferguson, H. Bruce & Wolkow, Katherine, 2012. "Educating children and youth in care: A review of barriers to school progress and strategies for change," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1143-1149.
    7. Tordön, Rikard & Bladh, Marie & Svedin, Carl Göran & Sydsjö, Gunilla, 2020. "Challenging intellectual, behavioral and educational prerequisites for interventions aimed at school aged children in foster care. A compilation of Swedish test results," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    8. Forsman, Hilma, 2020. "Exploring educational pathways over the life course in children with out-of-home care experience: A multi-group path analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    9. Liu, Denise & Tan, Michelle Yan Ling & Lim, Amber Yann-Yu & Chu, Chi Meng & Tan, Li Jen & Quah, Saw Han, 2014. "Profiles of needs of children in out-of-home care in Singapore: School performance, behavioral and emotional needs as well as risk behaviors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 225-232.
    10. Durbeej, Natalie & Hellner, Clara, 2017. "Improving school performance among Swedish foster children: A quasi-experimental study exploring outcomes of the Skolfam model," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 466-476.
    11. Goyette, Martin & Blanchet, Alexandre & Esposito, Tonino & Delaye, Ashleigh, 2021. "The role of placement instability on employment and educational outcomes among adolescents leaving care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    12. Flynn, Robert J. & Marquis, Robyn A. & Paquet, Marie-Pierre & Peeke, Lisa M. & Aubry, Tim D., 2012. "Effects of individual direct-instruction tutoring on foster children's academic skills: A randomized trial," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1183-1189.
    13. O'Higgins, Aoife & Sebba, Judy & Gardner, Frances, 2017. "What are the factors associated with educational achievement for children in kinship or foster care: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 198-220.
    14. Höjer, Ingrid & Lindberg, Helena & Nielsen, Bo & Gustafsson, Jan-Eric & Johansson, Helena, 2018. "Recognition of education and schooling in case files for children and young people placed in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 135-142.
    15. Harper, Julie & Schmidt, Fred, 2016. "Effectiveness of a group-based academic tutoring program for children in foster care: A randomized controlled trial," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 238-246.
    16. Liu, Chun & Vazquez, Christian & Jones, Kristian & Fong, Rowena, 2019. "The impact of independent living programs on foster youths' educational outcomes: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 213-220.
    17. Eiberg, Misja & Olsen, Rikke Fuglsang, 2022. "Too high or too low? the role of educational expectations for children in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    18. Brännström, Lars & Karlsson, Henrik & Vinnerljung, Bo & Hjern, Anders, 2018. "Childhood risk factors for disability pension among adult former Swedish child welfare clients: Same or different as for majority population peers?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 94-102.
    19. Hickey, Andrea J. & Flynn, Robert J., 2020. "A randomized evaluation of 15 versus 25 weeks of individual tutoring for children in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    20. Kirkøen, Benedicte & Engell, Thomas & Follestad, Ingvild B. & Holen, Solveig & Hagen, Kristine Amlund, 2021. "Early academic struggles among children with home-based support from child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).

    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:34:y:2012:i:6:p:1084-1091. 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.