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 Success in Higher Education written by Jennifer Enriquez and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 38 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although a number of foster youth express interest and aspirations in going to college and obtaining a degree only a significantly small number will actually attain that goal and complete their higher education. Much of the previous research informs that foster youth experience many hardships and barriers that deter them from achieving that goal. The researchers explored the experiences of former foster youth who actually achieved their academic goal to find what supports they had in place that may have assisted in their achievement. With the use of qualitative interviews and open-ended questions, the participants in this study were able to express in detail their own experiences and those narratives were examined. The researchers found common themes that played important roles in the participants' lives, which can be used to help promote the experiences of current foster youth today.
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 Foster Youth Emancipation Implications of Resiliency Independence and Responsibility written by Deborah Harris-Sims and published by Universal-Publishers. This book was released on 2008-07-11 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study incorporated descriptive research methods and correlational research methods to explore possible relationships between independence-responsibility and resiliency. The researcher administered the Resiliency Scales for Adolescents (RSA) to foster
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 Reality and Resiliency written by Heather L. Fox and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each year an estimated four in every one-hundred children in the United States are victims of child maltreatment. The vast majority of these children endure the challenges associated with being uprooted from their homes and separated from their parents and/or guardians. Among these are the challenges of succeeding in school once they enter, and exit, foster care, and overcoming myriad educational obstacles from a place of instability and uncertainty. This article is meant to present the realities of education, especially postsecondary education, given the challenges faced by foster youth. This article begins with an overview of the foster care system and then turns to obstacles related to accessing and completing postsecondary education faced by former foster youth (FFY). This article advocates for a strengths-based, resilience-focused approach to improving postsecondary outcomes for FFY.
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 Resilience from the Perspective of Former Foster Youth written by Amber A. Elam and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Experiencing maltreatment and being placed in foster care is associated with a number of negative outcomes throughout the life course. Thus, making sure that former foster youth have the support and sustenance they require to become resilient, educated adults is important for society and future generations. This study aimed to explore the narratives of individuals who were in the foster care system in order to examine the ways they conceptualized resilience as well as factors that they attributed contributing to their resilience. This study interviewed 7 individuals who had aged out of foster care. The interview was a semi-structured interview that prompted in- depth responses of their experiences of overcoming struggle. Recordings were then transcribed and separated into general themes that correlated with past research. The researchers found that a combination of factors lead to resilience in former foster youth. Structure and consistency appeared to be the most salient factor of resilience as well as being able to foster other areas of resilience. These other areas included self-efficacy and self-awareness. While these three factors appeared to be the most important in terms of sustaining resilience, there were a number of other themes that were significant to mention within the discussion section. The findings from this study suggest that making sure that foster youth have access to consistent support could help promote resilience in a greater number of children in the system.
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 Reshuffled written by Tracy Gharbo and published by Morgan James Publishing. This book was released on 2021-06-22 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reshuffled tells the life stories of former foster children, who despite all odds, craft productive lives. Within Reshuffled, former foster children share their trials and strategies to gain footing in their unpredictable lives with the hope that their stories can model, inspire, and encourage youth facing similar situations today. Tracy Gharbo and Linda Palmer have captured the authentic voices of the abused and abandoned children who become lawyers, social workers, military officers, college graduates, scientists, teachers, parents, athletes, and foster care advocates. Inspiration abounds in unique lives, told honestly and without reserve.
Download or read book Factors that Contribute to Resiliency in Former Foster Youth written by Deanna Nicole Reyes and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This research study focused on resilient, former foster youth. Given the vulnerabilities of children in foster care, what factors lead to participant resilience? Data was obtained from ten participants who were receiving independent living services in San Bernardino County.
Download or read book Fostering Higher Education written by Flor Hermosillo and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 21 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this research study is to investigate the influential factors and/or strategies that have benefited former foster youth during their pursuit of higher education that lead to graduating from college. Methods involved in-depth interviews completed by former foster youth (N=8) who have graduated from higher education (four-year institutions (n=3), and graduate programs (n=5). Thematic coding was used to analyze transcripts. Results indicated three common themes: (1) Connections Outside the Home (A. Involvement, B. Mentorship), (2) Building a Sense of Identity, and (3) Fear of Failure. Results will benefit the field of Social Work and the Foster Care System by providing a better understanding about the reasons for success among former foster youth in higher education experiences.
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 Resiliency Factors Contributing to Former Foster Youth Successfully Transitioning from the Child Welfare System written by Janine Garrett and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This exploratory study examined resiliency in foster youth exiting the child welfare system. Participants included 33 emancipated foster youth who completed an online survey using the Resiliency 14 Scale and the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale. Research findings indicated that the majority of emancipated foster youth demonstrated moderately high to high levels of resilience. Males had statistically significant higher resiliency scores than females, and African Americans had higher social support scores than other races/ethnicities although the difference only approached statistical significance. Greater social support was found to significantly correlate with higher resiliency scores. The researcher's hypothesis that former foster youth who participated in an independent living program (ILP) would demonstrate higher resiliency and greater social support than those who did not was not supported. However, those who participated in an ILP did have higher social support and the relationship between participation in an ILP and resiliency approached statistical significance. The research findings reflect the need for increased attention to examining various resiliency factors associated with emancipated foster youths' successful transition from the child welfare system. It is important to develop realistic and successful independent living programs for these youth. In addition, other approaches need to be examined and developed to help with the many challenges that emancipated foster youth face.
Download or read book Academic Resilience and Persistence Among College Foster Students written by Susana M. Ulloa and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Foster youth constitute one of the most vulnerable populations of young adults in the United States. Less than 10% of foster youth obtain a bachelor's degree, making them a student population with one of the lowest college persistence and graduation rates in the nation. Researchers have focused for the most part on investigating why foster college students continue to show low educational attainment rates. This study takes a different approach and investigates why some foster students succeed in college, despite personal and academic adversity, and emphasizes foster youth's strengths and assets to persist in higher education. This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) focuses on the lived experiences of seven undergraduate students with a foster care background at a selective four-year university in New England that does not offer a campus-support program for foster students. The data was obtained through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using academic resilience as a conceptual framework, and reveals that participants learned how to utilize protective factors, adapt quickly, and be proactive about identifying resources to navigate the ups and downs of college life. However, the findings also suggest that participants are stretched thin, overwhelmed, and must confront many challenges that could derail them from persisting in college. The findings in this study could assist researchers, higher education administrators, educators, and caretakers with developing strategies to enhance the academic experiences of this important population of college students.
Download or read book Life after Foster Care written by Loring Paul Jones and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2018-08-17 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book apprises readers of the present conditions of former and emancipated foster youth, provides evidence-based best practices regarding their experiences, and proposes new policies for ensuring better outcomes for these children upon discharge from foster care. For most American youth, the transition to adulthood is gradual and aided by support from parents and others. In contrast, foster youth are expected to arrive at self-sufficiency abruptly and without the same level of support. Such an expectation may be due in part to what Loring Paul Jones has found in his research: that many of the studies conducted thus far have been fragmented and incomplete, often focusing on a particular state or agency that may follow policies not applicable nationwide. This book connects the dots between these disparate studies to provide child welfare practitioners, policy makers, and students with a broader picture of the state of American youth following discharge from foster care. It examines not only child welfare policies but also related policies in areas such as housing and education that may contribute to the success or failure of foster youth in society. It additionally draws lessons from successful programs to provide readers with the tools needed to develop foster and after-care systems that more closely mirror the support afforded to youth in the general population.
Download or read book Our Stories un told written by Mauriell H. Amechi and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 125 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Children and youth who occupy this nation's foster care system are considered one of the most educationally underserved populations in both K-12 and higher education (GAO, 2016). While previous research (e.g., Courtney et al., 2011) emphasizes their deficits in the education pipeline, we are just beginning to understand the experiences of academically successful foster youth. Given the need to improve educational outcomes for underrepresented populations, this critical qualitative study explored how 12 foster care alumni cultivated postsecondary goals, and leveraged multiple forms of capital to navigate the complexities of the enrollment process at selective institutions. Informed by two asset-based theories, Yosso's (2005) community cultural wealth framework and Harper's (2012) Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework, I explored two central research questions: How were aspirations for postsecondary education cultivated by high-achieving foster care alumni currently enrolled in college? Also, how do foster care alumni employ cultural wealth to enhance their access to selective four-year institutions? This study found that both internal and external influences were catalysts for participants' postsecondary aspirations. Despite enduring significant disadvantages and unforeseen obstacles in the educational system, self-reports from respondents reflected resiliency and optimism for the future. Academically successful foster youth acquired essential support from institutional agents in schools and social services agencies. Respondents shared several examples of how significant others-including social workers, elementary and secondary school teachers, guidance counselors, and extended family members,-served as sources of inspiration, guidance, emotional support, and stability during pivotal moments in the educational system. Notwithstanding their status as first-generation students, they achieved college admission by employing at least five distinct categories of capital, namely, aspirational, social, resistant, familial and navigational. The final chapter includes implications for policy, research, and theory with an emphasis on enhancing enrollment and persistence.
