Evidence-Based Parenting Intervention for Youth Aging Out of the Child Welfare System

Foster youth and youth aging out get pregnant and become parents at significantly higher rates than their non-foster youth peers.1,2,3,4 Children of youth aging out have an increased risk for maltreatment. Thus, parenting interventions may offer a promising approach for providing much-needed services to parents aging out.5 This project adapted an evidence-based parenting intervention, The Incredible Years (IY)6,7 for parents aging out using the ADAPT-ITT model.8 In Phase 1, small group interviews were conducted with parents aging out and service providers to gather information about the needs of parents aging out. In Phase 2, the information collected in Phase 1 was used to adapt IY and provide a pilot of the intervention. The project sought to answer the following questions: Phase 1. 1) What are the experiences of parents aging out of care? 2) What do parents aging out and service providers perceive as the needs of parents aging out? and 3) What do parents aging out and service providers perceive to be important topics and learning activities that would be helpful to include in a parenting group targeted specifically for parents aging out? Phase 2. 1) How should IY be adapted to meet the needs of parents aging out? 2) To what extent does the adapted IY a) increase parenting skills, b) decrease parental stress, and c) increase parental sense of agency and support? and 3) to what extent are participants satisfied with the adapted IY? Qualitative data were analyzed with a thematic analysis. Basic descriptive statistics were conducted with the quantitative data. Parents aging out face overwhelming adversity and stress and lacked beneficial social relationships and consequently, support. Yet, parents also demonstrated resilience. Parents were interested and receptive to participating in a weekly IY intervention. However, due to the demands of their lives, parents were largely unable to consistently attend the intervention despite the resources invested into the program (e.g., access to transportation, child care, incentives). Given the linear and sequential nature of the parenting curriculum, even with targeted adaptations and substantial resources, it was concluded that there are significant barriers to delivering a 12-week parenting intervention in a community setting with parents aging out, and it is therefore essential to minimize these obstacles if interventions aimed toward helping this high-risk, high-need population are to be successful. These barriers threaten the feasibility of providing a weekly parenting intervention in the community setting to parents aging out. June 17, 2016 Revised December 2016 Principal Investigator: Lisa Schelbe, PhD, MSW Assistant Professor Florida State University College of Social Work Key Project Staff: Lisa Schelbe, PhD, MSW, Assistant Professor Florida State University College of Social Work Lenore McWey, PhD, LMFT, Professor Florida State University College of Human Sciences Kendal Holtrop, PhD, Assistant Professor Florida State University College of Human Sciences Melissa Radey PhD, Associate Professor Florida State University College of Social Work Angela Canto, PhD, Assistant Professor Florida State University College of Education Collaborating Partner: Children’s Home Society of Florida Funded through a contract with the Florida Institute for Child Welfare CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................1 Research Design ..................................................................................................................2 Phase 1: Needs Assessment ..........................................................................................2 Phase 2: Adaptation of Intervention ................................................................................2 Pilot Intervention .............................................................................................................3 Participants ...........................................................................................................................3 Phase 1: Needs Assessment ..........................................................................................3 Phase 2: Adaptation of Intervention ................................................................................3 Measures and Data Collection .............................................................................................4 Phase 1: Needs Assessment ..........................................................................................4 Phase 2: Adaptation of Intervention ................................................................................4 Child and Family Services Review Outcomes ..............................................................................4 Results..................................................................................................................................5 Phase 1: Needs Assessment ..........................................................................................5 Phase 2: Adaptation of Intervention ................................................................................5 Discussion ............................................................................................................................8 Project Goals and Child and Family Services Review Outcomes .....................................9 Practical Applications ......................................................................................................9 Sustainability Plan...................................................................................................................10 Study Limitations ..........................................................................................................................10 Conclusion ..........................................................................................................................10 Policy Recommendations ...................................................................................................10 Appendix A ....................................................................................................................................11 Appendix B ...................................................................................................................................13 Appendix C ...................................................................................................................................14 References ...................................................................................................................................16 RESEARCH REPORT