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Reaching everyone: Promoting the inclusion of youth with disabilities in evaluating foster care outcomes

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  • Blakeslee, Jennifer E.
  • Del Quest, A.
  • Powers, Jennifer
  • Powers, Laurie E.
  • Geenen, Sarah
  • Nelson, May
  • Dalton, Lawrence D.
  • McHugh, Elizabeth

Abstract

Efforts to evaluate foster care outcomes must avoid systematic exclusion of particular groups. Although often unrecognized as such, youth with disabilities are highly overrepresented in the U.S. foster care system, and yet youth with some disabilities, including those with intellectual, serious emotional, and physical impairments may be underrepresented in research and evaluation studies evaluating foster care outcomes. The recruitment and retention of youth with various disabilities in such studies can be impeded by under-identification of disability and relatively high placement and school mobility. Furthermore, youth with various disabilities may experience more disappointing outcomes than foster youth overall, underscoring the importance of including these youth in outcome tracking efforts. This is especially relevant given the recent implementation of the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD), which requires that state child welfare agencies gather baseline information about youth in foster care at age 17, and then survey outcomes at 19 and 21. To promote the full participation of foster youth with disabilities in such outcome evaluation, this paper describes successful strategies for identifying and retaining participants that were used in three separate longitudinal intervention studies. These strategies include the systematic recruitment of foster youth by special education status, and creative use of validated tracking and retention strategies incorporating minor accommodations as needed.

Suggested Citation

  • Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Del Quest, A. & Powers, Jennifer & Powers, Laurie E. & Geenen, Sarah & Nelson, May & Dalton, Lawrence D. & McHugh, Elizabeth, 2013. "Reaching everyone: Promoting the inclusion of youth with disabilities in evaluating foster care outcomes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 1801-1808.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:35:y:2013:i:11:p:1801-1808
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.08.010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cotter, Robert B. & Burke, Jeffrey D. & Stouthamer-Loeber, Magda & Loeber, Rolf, 2005. "Contacting participants for follow-up: how much effort is required to retain participants in longitudinal studies?," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 15-21.
    2. Tobler, Amy L. & Komro, Kelli A., 2011. "Contemporary options for longitudinal follow-up: Lessons learned from a cohort of urban adolescents," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 87-96, May.
    3. Powers, Laurie E. & Geenen, Sarah & Powers, Jennifer & Pommier-Satya, Summer & Turner, Alison & Dalton, Lawrence D. & Drummond, Diann & Swank, Paul, 2012. "My Life: Effects of a longitudinal, randomized study of self-determination enhancement on the transition outcomes of youth in foster care and special education," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(11), pages 2179-2187.
    4. Ribisl, Kurt M. & Walton, Maureen A. & Mowbray, Carol T. & Luke, Douglas A. & Davidson, William S. & Bootsmiller, Bonnie J., 1996. "Minimizing participant attrition in panel studies through the use of effective retention and tracking strategies: Review and recommendations," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 1-25, February.
    5. Jackson, Yo & Gabrielli, Joy & Tunno, Angela M. & Hambrick, Erin P., 2012. "Strategies for longitudinal research with youth in foster care: A demonstration of methods, barriers, and innovations," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1208-1213.
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    1. Welch, Vicki & Jones, Christine & Stalker, Kirsten & Stewart, Alasdair, 2015. "Permanence for disabled children and young people through foster care and adoption: A selective review of international literature," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 137-146.
    2. Havlicek, Judy & Bilaver, Lucy & Beldon, Marissa, 2016. "Barriers and facilitators of the transition to adulthood for foster youth with autism spectrum disorder: Perspectives of service providers in Illinois," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 119-128.
    3. Liang, Alicia & Lashewicz, Bonnie & Mitchell, Jennifer & Smith, Walter, 2021. "Mixed perceptions of self-determination: Struggles facing youth with disabilities transitioning from foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    4. Cheatham, Leah P. & Randolph, Karen A. & Boltz, Laura D., 2020. "Youth with disabilities transitioning from foster care: Examining prevalence and predicting positive outcomes," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    5. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Powers, Laurie E. & Geenen, Sarah & Schmidt, Jessica & Nelson, May & Fullerton, Ann & George, Kevin & McHugh, Elizabeth & Bryant, Mary, 2020. "Evaluating the My Life self-determination model for older youth in foster care: Establishing efficacy and exploring moderation of response to intervention," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    6. Blakeslee, Jennifer E., 2015. "Measuring the support networks of transition-age foster youth: Preliminary validation of a social network assessment for research and practice," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 123-134.
    7. McCauley, Erin, 2021. "Differential risks: How disability shapes risk in the transition to adulthood for youth who age out of foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    8. Kelly, Berni & Webb, Paul & Davidson, Gavin & Pinkerton, John & McShane, Theresa, 2022. "Raising the profile of care leavers with mental health and/or intellectual disabilities: A contribution from Northern Ireland," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).

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