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Mentorship programs for youth in foster care - Coggle Diagram
Mentorship programs for youth in foster care
Statement of the problem:
Youth in foster care face increased risk of negative outcomes without stable mentorship, particularly as they transition to adulthood.
Synthesis of the Literature:
Raposa et al. (2021) found that mentoring in foster care significantly improves youth outcomes, including educational achievement and mental health (Raposa, Dietz, & Rhodes, 2021).
Thompson et al. (2007) reported that mentorship programs for foster youth lead to better adult outcomes, especially in education and career (Thompson, Greeson, & Brunsink, 2007).
Flynn et al. (2023) showed that home tutoring programs for foster youth have a positive effect on educational achievement and social integration (Flynn, Marquis, Paquet, & Peeke, 2023).
Dubois et al. (2019) emphasized that mentors in foster care play a critical role in helping youth feel more motivated and supported in educational and career paths (Dubois, Holloway, Valentine, & Cooper, 2019).
Dworsky and Perez (2013) highlighted that youth in foster care report unmet career mentoring needs, and tailored mentorship programs can effectively address these gaps (Dworsky & Perez, 2013).
Spencer et al. (2019) conducted a mixed methods study on the Journey UP program and found that both qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys showed strong positive outcomes for youth aging out of foster care (Spencer, Tugenberg, Ocean, Schwartz, & Rhodes, 2019).
Significance of the Research:
This research is crucial to improving mentorship programs for foster youth and developing policies that can reduce the long-term risks they face.
Purpose:
To evaluate the effectiveness of mentorship programs for youth in foster care, with an emphasis on educational outcomes and career development.
Research question:
How do mentorship programs impact the educational and career outcomes of youth aging out of foster care?
Qualitative Data Collection Plan :
Method: Semi-structured interviews and one focus group session
Participants: 10-12 former foster care teens who participated in a mentorship program in the last 2 years
2-3 mentors from the same programs
Recruitment: though my foster care agency
Interview questions:
“Can you describe your relationship with your mentor and how it has impacted your education or career goals?”
“What challenges did you face transitioning out of care, and how did mentoring support you?”
“Were there parts of the mentorship experience that you found especially helpful or unhelpful?”
“What would you change about mentorship programs for foster youth?”
Collection Timeline & Process: Data collected over 4 to 6 weeks, interviews recorded if they consent and transcribed
Ethics: Participants will give informed consent, they can be anonymous and confidentiality will be protected
To analyze the data I will review it most likely with a peer or supervisor and we can transcribe the interviews and do thematic analysis, potentially code different things
Fake findings:Youth reported that having a consistent, emotionally available mentor helped build trust and fostered long-term educational motivation.
This would be good to show our donors and apply for grants with the state in order to get funding to start initiatives for this type of program.
Quantitative data collection plan
What info would be collected?
Youth perceptions of mentoring quality
Educational and career outcomes
Social-emotional well-being and self-efficacy
Transition readiness (e.g., financial literacy, goal setting, planning)
Survey instrument
Youth Mentoring Survey (YMS)
Author(s): Herrera, C., DuBois, D. L., & Grossman, J. B. (2007)
Source Article: Herrera, C., DuBois, D. L., & Grossman, J. B. (2007). The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles. Public/Private Ventures.
Description: Measures relationship quality, emotional support, trust, and mentee outcomes in mentoring programs. Used in national mentoring evaluations.
Participants
Sample size: 50–75 former foster youth (ages 18–24) who participated in a formal mentorship program in the past 2 years.
Data collection plan:
Over a 3 or 4 week period, online or paper copies
Ethics:
informed consent, participation is voluntary, and no named or identifying info
Data Analysis:
Move it to an excel sheet, descriptive satistics to summarize results, compare outcomes, examine correlations
Fake finding: 82% of participants rated their mentoring relationship as high quality, participants with high mentoring scores were significantly more likely to report feeling confident about college or to get a job.
This could help my foster care agency really focus on providing good mentorship for our older youth. Maybe do a match date for mentors with staff or local community members.