putting youth relationship education on the child welfare ......•best friends •choosing the best...
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda:
Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review
Mindy E. Scott Kristin A. Moore Alan J. Hawkins
Karin Malm Martha Beltz
www.childtrends.org Twitter/childtrends www.facebook.com/childtrends:
July 17, 2012
Washington, DC
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Why Relationships Matter
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Why Relationships Matter for Children
• Relationships are important for the healthy development of children and youth
Infancy/
Early Childhood
Middle Childhood Adolescence
Young Adulthood
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Why Romantic Relationships Matter
• Early relationships help youth develop the skills to manage healthy intimate partner relationships
• These relationships can influence youth decisions about:
• School
• Employment
• Pregnancy prevention
• Peer relationships
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A Focus on Youth in Foster Care
• Youth in foster care have experienced abuse, neglect, and face both instability and turbulence
• As a result, they face multiple challenges, including:
– Greater risk-taking behavior, such as using drugs or risky sex
– Challenges in making decisions about sex due to the absence of caring adults or mentors
– Challenges establishing and maintaining positive relationships
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Relationships Matter
Healthy development
Broad implications for: -School -Employment -Pregnancy prevention -Peer relationships
Healthy romantic
relationships
Youth in Foster Care
Abuse/Neglect
Instability
Multiple challenges
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
for Youth in Foster Care
Abuse/Neglect
Instability
Multiple challenges
Relationships Matter
Healthy development
Broad implications for: -School -Employment -Pregnancy prevention -Peer relationships
Healthy partner
relationships
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
The Importance of Romantic Relationships is Overlooked
• Research is still young • Prior research focused more on negative rather
than positive relationship aspects • Lack of attention given to this important issue
by: – Policy makers – Practitioners – Funders – Researchers
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Social Skills Matter
• Children with positive social skills are more likely to:
– Have high self-esteem
– Have positive relationships with peers
– Achieve in school
• Positive social skills are associated with positive later life outcomes, such as successful marriages and careers.
• Deficits in social skills are related to aggressive behaviors, such as bullying, fighting and delinquency
• There is evidence that social skills are malleable for adolescents
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Relationship Education for Youth in Foster Care
• Given the existing research on the importance of relationships, we are interested in:
– better understanding how relationship education interventions can help to improve youth’s relationship skills and the quality of their relationships
– what current interventions and types of services are most effective in improving relationships among youth in foster care
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Relationship Education for Youth in Foster Care
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
What does the research have to say?
Approach
• Broad literature search for published and unpublished articles
– Internet searches
– Review of published evaluation literature
– Review of programs
• Reached out to researchers, program evaluators and program practitioners for recommendations
• Several dozen intervention programs were identified
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Level 1 Relationship education programs for youth in foster care that have been
evaluated using a randomized control treatment design
Level 2 Relationships education programs that
have been evaluated using a randomized control treatment or high-quality quasi-
experimental design; or a rigorously evaluated program for youth in foster care with a relationship component as part of a
broader range of program components
Level 3 Evaluated programs (non-RCT) with a
relationship education component that address romantic relationships, but
relationship outcomes do not appear to have been examined in the evaluation
Level 4 Relationship education programs, or programs with a relationship
education component, without a formal evaluation, but are
evidence informed by basic research studies and theory
Level 5 Varied programs– not specifically
focused on relationship education; some have formal evaluation; some
have relevant components; some have relationship education components
but no relationship outcomes appear to have been examined
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Levels of Evidence
Level I
Level V
Level IV
Level III
Level II •Connections: Dating and Emotions •The Kempe Fostering Healthy Futures Program
•Love U2 •(Within My Reach)
•Best Friends •Choosing the Best (grades 9-10 and grades 11-12) •Loving Well
•Healthy Choices, Healthy Relationships •Independent Living Program •Love Notes
•Aban Aya Youth Project •CAS-Carrera •It’s Your Game: Keep it Real •L.E.A.S.E.
•M.E.I.D. •My First Place •PRIDE: Module 12
•Respecting and Protecting Our Relationship
•Shared Family Care Model •SiHLE
•STEP-UP with mentoring •Teen Parenting Services Network IL •TOP-Wyman •Young Dads
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
What does the research have to say?
Level I: none
Level II: Love U2
Level III: Loving Well
Level IV: Love Notes
Level V: TOP-Wyman
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
• Classroom-based relationship education program for 8th-12th grade youth
• Series of units aimed to help youth acquire practical skills for emotionally healthy relationships
• Evaluated using a randomized control trial
• Statistically significant impacts were found in many areas, including cohabitation, conflict management, marriage preparation, and the understanding of what it means to be a supportive partner.
Level II Program Summary - Love U2
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Level III Program Summary - Loving Well
• Relationship skills curriculum structured through the use of literature.
• Designed to develop values and attitudes surrounding romantic relationships that encourage responsible sexual behavior in adolescents
• Evaluated using a quasi-experimental design
• Associations were found for sexual activity and attitudes about sex
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Level IV Program Summary - Love Notes
• 15-lesson activity-based program aimed to teach young people skills to form healthy and meaningful relationships
• Designed for youth aged 16-24 who are at risk for unplanned pregnancy, single parenting, and troubled relationships, as well as those already pregnant or parenting.
• Uses activities based upon realistic scenarios, drawing, role-playing, story-telling, poetry, music and film
• Program not evaluated
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Level V Program Summary - TOP-Wyman (Teen Outreach Program)
• Designed for youth, grades 6-12
• Applied to foster care populations
• Focuses on personal values, relationships, communication and assertiveness, goal-setting, decision-making, human development and sexuality, and community service learning
• Evaluated by a randomized control trial
– Associations found for school suspension, course failure and pregnancy
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Conclusions
• There is evidence on the serious problems and poor outcomes faced by adolescents in the foster care system
• There are also compelling research findings on the importance of positive relationships
• There is a lack of rigorously evaluated relationship programs for youth in foster care (no programs in Level 1)
• A number of relationship education programs exist that serve vulnerable populations of youth
• Lessons learned from these programs and their evaluations can be used to help develop effective interventions for youth in foster care
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Putting Youth Relationship Education on the Child Welfare Agenda: Findings from a Research and Evaluation Review Mindy Scott, Kristen A. Moore, Alan J. Hawkins, Karin Malm, Martha Beltz
Recommendations
• Appropriate relationship education programs need to be developed, manualized, assessed, refined and tested
• There is a need for more rigorous evaluations of programs for youth in foster care
• Relationship outcomes should be examined
• Policy makers need to recognize the importance of relationships for youth in foster care
• There is a need for more funding for relationship education programs or relationship program components for this group
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Contact information:
Mindy Scott [email protected]
www.childtrends.org
Twitter/childtrends
www.facebook.com/childtrends