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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

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  • Greeson, Johanna K.P.
  • Garcia, Antonio R.
  • Kim, Minseop
  • Thompson, Allison E.
  • Courtney, Mark E.

Abstract

This study uses secondary data from the Multi-Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs, a randomized controlled trial of four independent living programs for youth in foster care. The subject of this investigation is the Life Skills Training Program (LST) of Los Angeles County, CA. We had three interrelated aims: (1) Evaluate the effectiveness of the LST program as compared to services as usual on the change in social support over time; (2) Examine the differences over time in social support by race and ethnicity among LST participants; and (3) Investigate the explanatory value of prosocial activities, educational involvement, current living arrangement, employment, victimization experiences, placement instability, and behavioral health symptomology on changes in social support over time among LST participants. We employed multilevel longitudinal modeling to estimate growth in social support over three time points (baseline, first follow-up, and second follow-up) among 482 youth (n=234 LST; n=248 control). We found a significant reduction in social support across the three time points. But, there was no difference in the social support trajectory between the LST and control groups. In addition, no racial/ethnic difference in the social support trajectory was detected. Results underscore the need to critically examine how independent living programming is intended to increase social support and whether modifying these practices can improve promotion and maintenance of social support for youth who age out of foster care.

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  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:53:y:2015:i:c:p:1-9
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.03.016
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. López López, Mónica & Martínez-Jothar, Gabriela & ten Brummelaar, Mijntje D.C. & Parra, Luis A. & San Román Sobrino, Beatriz & Mallon, Gerald P., 2024. "“They told me that you can be with whomever you want, be who you are”: Perceptions of LGBTQ+ youth in residential care regarding the social support provided by child welfare professionals," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    4. Glynn, Natalie, 2021. "Understanding care leavers as youth in society: A theoretical framework for studying the transition out of care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    5. Nesmith, Ande, 2017. "Coping with change: Using the Bridge's Transitions Framework with foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 41-47.
    6. Doucet, Melanie M. & Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Eldeeb, Nehal, 2022. "Independent living programs and services for youth 'aging out' of care in Canada and the U.S.: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    7. Atwool, Nicola, 2020. "Transition from care: Are we continuing to set care leavers up to fail in New Zealand?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    8. Paul, June C., 2020. "Exploring support for LGBTQ youth transitioning from foster care to emerging adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    9. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit & Melkman, Eran, 2024. "A comparative analysis of protective and promotive factors of at-risk youth in the community and in residential care settings in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    10. 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).
    11. Thompson, Heather M. & Wojciak, Armeda Stevenson & Cooley, Morgan E., 2018. "The experience with independent living services for youth in care and those formerly in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 17-25.
    12. Zinn, Andrew & Palmer, Ashley N. & Nam, Eunji, 2017. "Developmental heterogeneity of perceived social support among former foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 51-58.
    13. Hobbs, Sue D. & Bederian-Gardner, Daniel & Ogle, Christin M. & Bakanosky, Sarah & Narr, Rachel & Goodman, Gail S., 2021. "Foster youth and at-risk non-foster youth: A propensity score and structural equation modeling analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    14. Woodgate, Roberta L. & Morakinyo, Oluwatobiloba & Martin, Katrina M., 2017. "Interventions for youth aging out of care: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 280-300.
    15. Shpiegel, Svetlana & Simmel, Cassandra, 2016. "Functional outcomes among sexual minority youth emancipating from the child welfare system," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 101-108.
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