Download or read book Former Foster Youth in Postsecondary Education written by Jacob P. Gross and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-05-15 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the attainment gap between foster youth and their peers. Specifically focusing on post-secondary access and success for foster youth, Gross points out the challenges foster youth face in the primary and secondary school context, such as being less likely to complete high school. These barriers to former foster youth continue once enrolled in post-secondary education, and can manifest as lack of institutional support, financial barriers, and limited to no familial support. The author discusses what policy makers and practitioners need to know to better support the educational attainment of former foster youth.
Download or read book Climbing a Broken Ladder written by Nathanael J. Okpych and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2021-01-15 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although foster youth have college aspirations similar to their peers, fewer than one in ten ultimately complete a two-year or four-year college degree. What are the major factors that influence their chances of succeeding? Climbing a Broken Ladder advances our knowledge of what can be done to improve college outcomes for a student group that has largely remained invisible in higher education. Drawing on data from one of the most extensive studies of young people in foster care, Nathanael J. Okpych examines a wide range of factors that contribute to the chances that foster youth enroll in college, persist in college, and ultimately complete a degree. Okpych also investigates how early trauma affects later college outcomes, as well as the impact of a significant child welfare policy that extends the age limit of foster care. The book concludes with data-driven and concrete recommendations for policy and practice to get more foster youth into and through college.
Download or read book Supporting former foster care youth in higher education written by Katie Anne Nimcheski and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Narratives of Former Foster Youth in Higher Education written by Kathleen Brien Douthat and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this narrative inquiry is to learn about the experiences of former foster youth in higher education. Nationwide, 26,547 youth emancipate from foster care each year. Former foster youth who continue with education beyond high school may elect to receive supportive services through the state's independent living program. Although these services are intended to provide the necessary support while the youth completes a post-secondary degree program, research has shown that fewer former foster youth enter college and complete a degree than their non-former foster youth peers. Further, there has been very little research that explores firsthand experiences of former foster youth as college students. Narrative inquiries are most suited for small numbers of participants in qualitative research studies. Moreover, the best way to understand the human experience is to hear it firsthand from those who have lived it. For this study, eight former foster youth were interviewed about their experiences in foster care and as students in a large, southeastern U.S. community college. Findings from the data were presented as profiles in the youth's own words and through an analysis of the themes found across interviews. Two over-arching topics that relate to the research questions were addressed: meaning-making experiences and identity construction. Within those two topics are themes that support each one. The findings revealed that meaning is made through the transitions former foster youth have experienced, the preparation for college they have had, the connections they have made, and whether or not they feel in control of their lives. The resulting themes of crisis, commitment, transformation, and confidence help to understand how identity is constructed for these youth.
Download or read book From Foster Care to College written by Royel M. Johnson and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2024-10 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do youth placed in foster care aspire to and access college? This book chronicles the lives and experiences of 47 college students navigating the challenging terrain of the United States’ foster care system. Through insightful, in-depth interviews, Johnson offers insight into the harsh realities of how our nationÕs education, welfare, and other social systems often intertwine in ways that diminish the potential and opportunities for these young people. Yet amidst the adversities, these stories resonate with themes of hope, resistance, and possibility. Guided by resilience theory and other asset-based concepts, Johnson sheds light on the protective mechanisms that enable postsecondary access and success, even in the face of towering barriers. Beyond exposition, this book is a clarion call to educators, school and university leaders, and child welfare champions to stand tall and act decisively. The goal? To transform the precarious circumstances of young people in foster care, and dismantle the obstacles that thwart their educational pursuits and dreams. Book Features: Employs critical and asset-based theories and concepts that recognize the agencies, desires, and possibilities of youth in foster care.Brings attention to the intersectionality of identities and social structures that shape students’ educational pathways.Identifies system failures across education and child welfare sectors and how they interact with one another.Presents findings from empirical research about risks and protective factors that influence success at critical junctures along the college-going pipeline.Offers recommendations for various stakeholders who seek to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of youth in foster care.
Download or read book Pathways to Higher Education written by Terra Thorne and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are multiple challenges associated with being in the foster care system that inhibit academic success among this student population. As a result, an achievement gap has developed between foster youth and their peers in California's K-12 system, placing foster youth among the lowest performing students in the state (Barrat & Berliner, 2013). In recognition of the distinct challenges foster students face, California recently became the first state in the nation to identify them as a distinct student group for the purposes of K-12 funding and accountability. Under the Local Control Funding Formula, implemented in 2013, the state provides school districts supplemental funds for students with greater educational needs, including foster youth (EdSource, n.d.). However, the educational supports that foster youth need are not yet well known, and many districts are struggling to create appropriate services, teaching strategies or interventions that will help improve the academic performance of this particularly vulnerable student group. This exploratory research was developed to help inform the conversation about foster youth success, by assessing possible factors that helped former foster youth achieve an important benchmark: enrolling in college. In this study, 33 former foster youth at two Northern California State University (CSU) institutions were surveyed about the factors they believe helped them beat the odds and successfully matriculate into higher education. These factors include social support, participation in the community and noncognitive strengths, such as perseverance. The results of the survey indicate that these youth rely on a number of supports to help them matriculate into higher education. Of the assessed factors, respondents identified their 'personal strength' as the most important in helping them succeed at enrolling in college, indicating the key role that noncognitive factors may have for this population. Social support was also identified as important. In particular, students perceived social support as creating a 'college-going' culture where students saw higher education as a possibility and were provided the emotional social support that helped them enroll. These findings could help provide a foundation for further research among the academic and educational communities about which factors will best support the academic needs and noncognitive growth of foster youth in California.
Download or read book Fostering the System written by Troy Bailey and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The review of the literature is broken down to three subtopics. First, understanding how the foster care system works to the benefit of foster youth; fully understanding the barriers they face and resources available to them is important information guiding the expansion and improvement of programs specifically supporting the special needs of emancipated foster youth. The second subtopic is a discussion about what support services are available for transitional foster youth. The last subtopic focuses on recognizing the factors that move a foster youth toward and through college. Several resources focused on the general public's view of foster youth and higher education are identified and summarized regarding their roles in supporting the goal of understanding the reason(s) influencing a former foster youth to enter and stay in college. The purpose of this research was to answer the following question: How well do foster youth, and individuals working alongside them, know about the benefits received from higher education enrollment? In this study, the limitations, as well as the benefits, are explored to get a better understanding of how and why college is not a higher priority for foster youth. The researcher gathered qualitative data to gain more insight on foster youth going into higher education. Human subjects were accessed through the Guardian Scholars program at a public university, in the northern region of California. Established in 2006, the program currently serves 65 active, former foster youth students and provides job assistance, resume-building, and partnerships through the two large public school districts in northern California. The researcher was assisted by the college advisor of the Guardian Scholars in administering a Survey Monkey© survey to all students, professionals, and volunteers involved in the program. The survey was sent to 119 potential respondents listed on the college advisors email contact list; 42 completed the survey. It consisted of 21 questions; 17 multiple choice and four short answer. One-on-one interviews were conducted with two of the Guardian Scholars. They both took place on the public university campus. Foster youth face more adversity than their peers. Without continuing support from the community and stable, committed relationships with adults, children are not able to reach their full potential and, in fact, experience quite negative outcomes. Students who attend institutions of higher education obtain a wide range of personal, financial, and other lifelong benefits; likewise, taxpayers, and society as a whole, derive a multitude of direct and indirect benefits when citizens have access to post secondary education. Education has many benefits; individuals with higher levels of education earn more and are more likely than others to be employed and productive members of society.
Download or read book Service and Program Needs to Support Foster Students Attending Community College written by Chau Phuong Nguyen Dao and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is little doubt that educational outcome for students who experience foster care is far below those of the general student population and that they may be disproportionately impacted by college practices, programs or services. In California over 50,000 children and youths are in out of home placements. It is estimated that approximately 12,000 current and former foster youth are enrolled in California's community college system at any one time. Children enter the foster care system as a result of extreme abuse or neglect inflicted upon them by their biological family. In California, only about one third of the cases where there is a substantiated report of abuse or neglect result in removal from the home, meaning that these are the most severe and difficult cases of maltreatment and neglect. This experience is then often compounded by the circumstances these children face upon entry into the foster care system. Once in the system, many experience multiple placements that require frequent moves from home to home and may also result in multiple forced school changes and consequent social and academic challenges. By age 24, foster youth experience significantly poorer education outcomes than the general population (Courtney et al., 2011). Increased educational advocacy for foster students among professionals who work with foster students have taken shape. In collaboration with the legislature, additional bills have been passed to help ease the access to student records and increase support services for foster students to continue schooling into the college and job training levels after high school completion. This increased attention came as a recent study of high school foster students demonstrated large disparities between not only foster students and the general student population but also foster students and other economically disadvantaged students. The community college sector is where the majority of foster students enter into higher education due to their financial situation as well as their academic unpreparedness. This study sought out to find the service and program needs of foster students attending a community college, using Mt. San Antonio College as an actual study site by investigating the following research questions: Umbrella question: For students with foster care experience, what are their service and program needs while attending community college? 1. What are the elements or characteristics of a foster youth resource center that has been active for 5 or more years? 2. What are the factors or information that professionals working with foster youth at non-profit agencies say are necessary for them to attend community college? 3. What information and/or services do foster students say should be included in a resource center to support foster students attending community college? According to the results of this study, the following that elements are necessary to demonstrate that the community college acknowledges and supports the efforts of its foster student population to attain a college degree. 1. Access Point for Connection and Engagement 2. Safe Common Space for Assistance and Acceptance 3. Access Point for Collective Voice 4. Provide Opportunities to Give Back 5. Provide Targeted Programming and Services In the end, this study recommends that a community college institute the following to ensure that the findings are involved: community cultural wealth promotion, ensure basic life necessities are available, and continued advocacy and networking on behalf of foster students. This study provides community college administrators a logic model to show them that building a resource center to support its foster students is possible and needed. Community colleges can be part of the solution in helping foster students increase college completion and improve their life trajectory.
Download or read book Helping Former Foster Youth Achieve in Higher Education Through on Campus Support Programs written by Jonathan Sickinger and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Purpose: The main aim was to evaluate former foster youth on campus support programs at two universities in Southern California in these three areas, 1. the services offered 2. Student's awareness of services and 3. Student's use of services. Research question; does awareness of services lead to more use of services. Methods: A 14 item survey was created by the researcher. Surveys were distributed to participants via email, from the director of the programs. Results: Data was analyzed using descriptive frequencies and Pearson's r for correlations. Findings indicate that more than half of all participants (n=26) were aware of each of the services offered. However, the findings also indicate that more than half of participants did not use any of the services. Discussion: When evaluating the data, the researcher found significant correlations within participant's awareness of services and their use of services. Themes were analyzed for the qualitative data. Themes included more 1. money/funds for academic and living expenses, 2. more academic support, and 3. more social and academic connections.
Download or read book Understanding Campus Support Programs written by Bonnie Wilson Brown and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 143 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Young adults with foster care experience encounter a number of challenges related to obtaining a college degree. To assist this population in reaching their academic goals, many colleges and universities have created campus-based support programs. These programs are designed to assist former foster youth through an array of services, which range from financial aid to mentorship. However, little is known about how these programs are designed or implemented, or how effectively they are meeting the needs of this population. This dissertation sought to build upon previous research that examined the barriers faced by former foster children who are pursuing a college degree. Additionally, it sought to contextualize previous literature on the effectiveness of support programs in promoting academic success. This exploratory study employed a mixed-methods design that primarily focused on qualitative data, gathered through in-depth interviews with both former foster youth pursuing a degree and with administrators of campus-based support programs. In addition to qualitative data, this study elicited quantitative data in the form of survey responses from foster youth. The survey questions focused on the protective and resiliency factors used by this population to succeed, along with data on academic success in the form of grade point averages. The qualitative data in this study found that campus-based support was considered accessible and utilized by students, but it was not the only resource that foster care alumni relied on to succeed. The qualitative data also confirmed the importance of having a program specifically designed to meet the needs of former foster youth. Both the student participants and the program administrators spoke of the effectiveness of engagement in campus-based support; however, the quantitative data gathered in this study did not show that the utilization of campus-based support or community based support had a significant influence on academic performance.
Download or read book Juvenile in Justice written by Richard Ross and published by Self Publisher. This book was released on 2012 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: photographs by Richard Ross of juveniles in detention, commitment and treatment across the US.
Download or read book Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 written by United States and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Crossing Bridges written by Ja'Net Adrienne Roberson and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The retention and persistence of students who come from the foster care system and are enrolled in four-year college institutions was the focus of this qualitative study. Former foster care youth resided in out-of-home care with state approved guardians who received funding and monitoring of services. When enrolled in college, foster care youth require more support than students who never experience foster care. A small number of four-year college institutions provide interventions to retain foster care students. The research sought to identify best practices and to establish a foundation for research. Foster care youth often have a history of abusive and neglectful life experiences. It is fundamental to assure that these students are provided with the appropriate resources to ensure persistence and success. By doing so, institutions may be able to increase student retention and completion. The conceptual framework reflects the historical context of students. The outcome of several different retention efforts is discussed. Finally, the literature explored access to higher education for former foster care youth. The research is aimed to provoke further research, best practice, and to inform research. Four research questions guided the investigation concerning the lived experiences of students who have come from the foster care system and who are enrolled in four-year college institutions. The stories former foster youth told about their interaction with faculty and staff in four-year college institutions inform this study. Four themes emerged from A Narrative Inquiry into Transitioning from Foster Care to College iii the study, (1) campus-based support as an external support, financial support, family as an internal support, transition and access. Through the stories told we learned that former foster care youth require external support in the form of campus-based support, a direct liaison who is assigned to former foster care youth. Internal support is important in assuring consistency, a place to call home and lasting friendships. Financial aid is the driving force that allows former foster care youth to persist. Transition support is crucial in properly progressing into college and adulthood for foster care youth. Finally, best practices are discussed for monitoring success in students who come from the foster care system and are enrolled in four-year college institutions.
Download or read book The Impact of Foster Care on Pursuit of Higher Education written by Tiffany Barker and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, the foster care population currently includes nearly 400,000 children (2013). In 2012, in California alone, over 43,000 students in grades K-12 were in foster care. Research has shown students in every type of placement performed far worse than their non-foster care peers. Furthermore, in high school, students in foster care had the highest dropout rates and the lowest graduations than any other students (Wiegmann et.al 2014). This academic achievement gap demonstrates foster youth are at an extreme disadvantage compared to their counterparts who never experience foster care. If foster youth perform behind their peers in primary school, this achievement gap is likely to follow them on their path to higher education. Other researchers have found only 20% of former foster youth who meet college entrance requirements actually go to college (Unrau et al. 2012) and less than six percent of former foster youth have a college education (Fessler 2010). These facts reveal foster care negatively impacts students' academic performance and their ability to receive higher education. The present study looks at former foster youth who have graduated from high school and have successfully transitioned into higher education. In-depth interviews with ten former foster youth currently enrolled in a California State University were conducted in order to answer the following research question, "How have former foster youth currently enrolled in college been prepared and challenged on their path to higher education?" The interviews were analyzed and coded. Four themes emerged from the data: 1. Choosing to Take the Road towards Higher Education, 2. Educational Resources and Support Networks, 3. Finding Support and Strength, and 4. Personal Motivation and Self-Reliance. Personal backgrounds, religious beliefs, and past experiences from student's macrosystems and chronosystems motivated them to pursue higher education. Various support networks, financial assistance, and education resources associated with their exosystem helped prepare students for the academic barriers they would encounter on their path to conquering their academic goals. Lastly, assistance and support from family, friends, teachers, and other microsystems as well as their own personal motivation and self-reliance enabled their dreams of going to college to become a reality. Using the Bioecological Systems theory, this research revealed how different ecological systems have both negatively and positively affected interviewees' abilities to become successful college students.
Download or read book Exploring Resiliency Among Former Foster Youth in Higher Education written by Cristina Camarena-Prieto and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study explores resiliency among former foster youth enrolled in four-year universities and seeks to understand what makes this unique population resilient enough to achieve and maintain academic success despite remaining underserved and largely absent from educational discourse (Johnson, 2020). The qualitative approach of this study involved a preliminary screening demographic questionnaire and choosing 11diverse students/youth formerly in foster care (YFFC) currently enrolled in campus support programs at three selective California 4-year institutions. Sample selection considered these important elements: students who (1.) identify as foster youth, (2.) are enrolled in their third year of college or beyond, including graduate school (3.) have a current GPA of 3.0 or higher, and (4.) have received one or more forms of support from college campus programs designed to help foster youth. Both recruitment efforts and data collection were done remotely due to pandemic restrictions. The semi-structured interviews lasted 60-90 minutes and followed a 22-question interview protocol intended to explore research principles of risk and promotive factors that either hinder or foster adaptive behaviors as defined by Resiliency Theory. Questions were open-ended and separated into four sections: 1) Demographic Information, 2) Child Welfare Involvement, 3) K-12 Experiences, and 4) College Experiences. Based on the analysis of findings from the study's qualitative interviews, five themes emerged: 1) Resiliency 2) Systemic Barriers, 3) Systems of Support, 4) Helpful Adults, and 5) Navigating Higher Education. Study findings suggest that resiliency can be a naturally occurring phenomenon in the face of persistent assaults on development. It supports current research propositions that resiliency involves fluid processes and does not remain fixed or wholly tied to rigid risk and promotive factors or personal traits (Oshiri et al., 2018). Data suggest that child welfare involvement is often itself, a traumatic and prolonged experience with impermanence in the form of excessive school and home transitions, changing adult faces, and constant assaults on personhood. Additionally, the K-12 experience was commonly described as devoid of adequate academic support, mentoring relationships and college preparation programs. Data also revealed that the significant weight of ACE's suffered in care are often powerful enough to eclipse all other systemic barriers, including gender discrimination and racism. Furthermore, the data showed that the foster youth identity is often stigmatized and riddled with judgments and assumptions that stifle efforts on the part of foster youth to reach out and share their stories, as well as ask for help.
Download or read book Foster Youth written by Michelle Louise Dean and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inconsistencies in the educational system and difficult life conditions make foster youth less likely than their peers in the general population to attend college and obtain a degree. Studies have estimated that between 2%-11% of all foster youth in the United States graduate with a four-year degree (Casey Family Programs, 2010; Pecora, 2012; Wolanin, 2005) compared to 33% of the general population (Ryan & Bauman, 2016). This research illustrates factors that assist former foster youth on their pathway to higher education. In doing so, the research uncovers important themes that contribute knowledge to the literature on higher education for marginalized populations, more specifically foster youth. The purpose of this research is to provide individuals working with foster youth information that can be used to assist students as they move into and through higher education. The study is based on 14 semi-structured interviews with students in the Guardian Scholars Program (GSP) at California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) and University of California, Davis (UCD), the Guardian Professions Program (GPP) at UC Davis, and the three program directors from each campus program. The research utilizes the concept of resiliency as a framework to analyze the findings. This study found that all 14 students interviewed shared two factors: resiliency, as well as having had an important supportive relationship with an adult who helped them further their education. Findings also show the biological family plays a large role in the students’ motivation to pursue education, as they either want to make them proud or use their family’s situation as motivation to succeed. The majority of students find campus support programs contribute to their success in higher education. Students interviewed for this study felt graduate school seemed more attainable once they had knowledge of support services for alumni of care students who wish to pursue graduate school. Participants recommend providing outreach about support services at college campuses to foster youth as early as middle school and no later than high school to create higher expectations and provide students with knowledge of their options beyond high school. Recommendations include extending the age limit of support programs and grants, provide more training to administration in educational institutions about foster youth students,include foster youth and their unique needs into training programs for future teachers, and look for ways to increase students’ resiliency.
Download or read book Foster Youth in Higher Education written by Jennifer Lynn Johnson Bailey and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
