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Natural mentoring among older youth in and aging out of foster care: A systematic review

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  • Thompson, Allison E.
  • Greeson, Johanna K.P.
  • Brunsink, Ashleigh M.

Abstract

Due to their histories of caregiver maltreatment, living instability, and potential attachment challenges associated with out-of-home care, older foster youth represent a particularly vulnerable group of adolescents at increased risk for a number of poor well-being outcomes. However, research supports the notion that a relationship with a competent, caring adult, such as a mentor, may serve protectively for vulnerable youth, and a nascent yet growing body of literature suggests that naturally occurring mentoring relationships from within youth's social networks are associated with improved outcomes among young people in foster care during adolescence and the transition to adulthood. This systematic review is the first to comprehensively identify, synthesize, and summarize what we currently know from nearly a decade of theories, concepts, and research findings pertaining to natural mentoring among adolescent youth in foster care. A bibliographic search of seven databases and personal outreach to mentoring researchers and practitioners through a national listserv yielded 38 English-language documents from academic sources and the gray literature pertaining to natural mentoring among older foster youth. We identified quantitative studies that have been conducted to test the theories and hypotheses that have emerged from the qualitative studies of natural mentoring among youth in foster care. Together, this literature suggests that natural mentoring is a promising practice for youth in foster care. Based on our findings from the systematic review, we make practice recommendations to encourage the facilitation of natural mentoring within child welfare contexts and outline an agenda for future research that more rigorously investigates natural mentoring among older youth in foster care.

Suggested Citation

  • Thompson, Allison E. & Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Brunsink, Ashleigh M., 2016. "Natural mentoring among older youth in and aging out of foster care: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 40-50.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:61:y:2016:i:c:p:40-50
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.12.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    13. Munson, Michelle R. & Smalling, Susan E. & Spencer, Renée & Scott Jr., Lionel D. & Tracy, Elizabeth M., 2010. "A steady presence in the midst of change: Non-kin natural mentors in the lives of older youth exiting foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 527-535, April.
    14. Dworsky, A. & Napolitano, L. & Courtney, M., 2013. "Homelessness during the transition from foster care to adulthood," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(S2), pages 318-323.
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    Cited by:

    1. Spencer, Renée & Drew, Alison L. & Gowdy, Grace & Horn, John Paul, 2018. "“A positive guiding hand”: A qualitative examination of youth-initiated mentoring and the promotion of interdependence among foster care youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 41-50.
    2. Kelley, Margaret S. & Lee, Meggan J., 2018. "When natural mentors matter: Unraveling the relationship with delinquency," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 319-328.
    3. Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth & Haight, Wendy & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C. & Cho, Minhae & Suleiman, Johara & Park, Sookyoung, 2023. "Re-orienting narratives of moral injury towards positive development: The experiences of emerging adults with child welfare histories," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    4. Salazar, Amy M. & Roe, Stephanie S. & Ullrich, Jessica S. & Haggerty, Kevin P., 2016. "Professional and youth perspectives on higher education-focused interventions for youth transitioning from foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 23-34.
    5. Colacchio Wesley, Bridget & Pryce, Julia & Barry, Johanna & Hong, Philip Young P., 2020. "Steadfast benevolence: A new framework for understanding important adult-youth relationships for adolescents in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    6. Gunawardena, Nathali & Stich, Christine, 2021. "Interventions for young people aging out of the child welfare system: A systematic literature review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    7. Bortnowska Hanna & Seiler Bartosz, 2019. "Formal mentoring in nonprofit organizations. Model proposition," Management, Sciendo, vol. 23(1), pages 188-208, June.
    8. Zinn, Andrew, 2017. "Predictors of natural mentoring relationships among former foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 564-575.
    9. Duke, Taylor & Farruggia, Susan P. & Germo, Gary R., 2017. "“I don't know where I would be right now if it wasn't for them”: Emancipated foster care youth and their important non-parental adults," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 65-73.
    10. Heyman, Janna C. & White-Ryan, Linda & Kelly, Peggy & Farmer, G. Lawrence & Leaman, Tara Linh & Davis, Henry J., 2020. "Voices about foster care: The value of trust," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    11. Williams-Butler, Abigail & Duron, Jacquelynn F. & Costantino, Amanda & Schmidt, Adam, 2020. "Relational permanence and the potential for delinquency among African American adolescents in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    12. Autio, Minna & Lähteenmaa, Jaana & Holmberg, Ulrika & Kujala, Jukka, 2016. "Young consumer identity in a restrictive school environment — Addictive substances, symbolic goods and consumer skills," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 100-106.
    13. Salazar, Amy M. & Haggerty, Kevin P. & Roe, Stephanie S., 2016. "Fostering Higher Education: A postsecondary access and retention intervention for youth with foster care experience," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 46-56.
    14. Pope, Natalie D. & Jay Miller, J. & Benner, Kalea, 2020. "Cultivating resilience in new foster parents through mentoring: A dyadic analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    15. Arnau-Sabatés, Laura & Gilligan, Robbie, 2020. "Support in the workplace: How relationships with bosses and co-workers may benefit care leavers and young people in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    16. Cesar, Gabriel T & Decker, Scott H., 2020. "“CPS Sucks, but… I think I’m better off in the system:” Family, social support, & arts-based mentorship in child protective services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    17. Pope, Natalie D. & Ratliff, Stephanie & Moody, Shannon & Benner, Kalea & “Jay” Miller, Justin, 2022. "Peer support for new foster parents: A case study of the Kentucky Foster Parent Mentoring Program," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    18. Paulsen, Veronika & Berg, Berit, 2016. "Social support and interdependency in transition to adulthood from child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 125-131.
    19. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Kothari, Brianne H. & Miller, Rebecca A., 2023. "Intervention development to improve foster youth mental health by targeting coping self-efficacy and help-seeking," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    20. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Best, Jared I., 2019. "Understanding support network capacity during the transition from foster care: Youth-identified barriers, facilitators, and enhancement strategies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 220-230.
    21. Sensiper, Sylvia & Barragán, Carlos Andrés, 2017. "The Guardian Professions Program: Developing an advanced degree mentoring program for California's foster care alumni," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 329-336.
    22. Okland, Idun & Oterholm, Inger, 2022. "Strengthening supportive networks for care leavers: A scoping review of social support interventions in child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    23. Doucet, Melanie M. & Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Eldeeb, Nehal, 2022. "Independent living programs and services for youth 'aging out' of care in Canada and the U.S.: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    24. Gowdy, Grace & Hogan, Sean, 2021. "Informal mentoring among foster youth entering higher education," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    25. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit & Tayri-Schwartz, Talia, 2021. "The role of natural mentoring and sense of belonging in enhancing resilience among youth in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).

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