Initial and Final Submission: No changes made
Bassuk, E. L. (2010). Ending child homelessness in America. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 80(4), 496-504. http://dx.doi.org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01052.x
This journal focuses on the child homelessness population in America. One of the main factors of focus for child homelessness is the economic recession and its impact on the population. The lack of affordable housing and extreme poverty are the factors that also impact child homelessness. The article focuses on the effects of homelessness in children by poor school performance, effects of trauma on children, and their resiliency. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has proposed to eliminate and prevent homelessness for families within the next 10 years. Through strategies of community involvement, citizen participation, alternatives to shelters, individualized case management plans, and local, national, and state political efforts homelessness can be eliminated. BSAFE and Campaign to End Child Homelessness are two agencies in the article whose efforts are to prevent child homelessness.
The article is useful to my program evaluation as it directly relates to the population which my agency serves. Loudoun Families for Children works with the homeless children of the county as well as children needing immediate shelter placement. The article gives useful information on the impact of homelessness as well as the various agencies that have proven successful in campaigning in ending homelessness for children.
Bribitzer, M. P., Verdieck, M. J. (1988). Home-based, family-centered intervention: evaluation of a foster care prevention program. Child Welfare, 67(3), 255-266. Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=ef6c4b82-dc4b-4dd5-8110-517b2d01be2b%40sessionmgr4006
This article focuses on the evaluation of a home-based placement agency versus foster care placement in a northern Virginia agency. Home-based placements had several advantages as it cost less, smaller caseloads, and more highly-trained caseworkers. The research conducted on 42 cases which involved children placed in home-based agency. The outcome was 55% of the cases were reunited back with family. The research concluded that families with many children, younger families, and families with no court involvement were more likely to have a successful outcome. While conclusions were based on the small sample study, continuing research in this field is imperative to gain a better understanding of home-based placement versus foster care placement.
The article relates to my program evaluation because it’s based in northern Virginia. My evaluation is also on the success of a home-based program versus a foster care placement. The geographic location and the type of program will help guide my evaluation. Seeing the results of another agency in the same geographic location will help gather additional information for my evaluation.
Kimbrough-Melton R., Melton G. (2015). Someone will notice, and someone will care: how to build strong communities for children child abuse and neglect, Child Abuse & Neglect, 41, 67-78. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.02.015
Strong Communities is a community-wide initiative in preventing child maltreatment through promotion of family and community well-being. It is evidence-based using operative principles from research on the causes and correlations of child maltreatment and the conditions necessary for community change. The goal of the initiative is keeping children safe by strengthening the community relationships so that families know that others care. The purpose is that Strong Communities use the whole community through voluntary assistance by neighbors and friends of the community. The article focuses on positive approaches and intervention strategies to strengthen the well-being of the family and the safety of children. There are 4 phases in the article that introduce the framework of the agency. Spreading the word, mobilizing the community, increasing resources for families, and institutionalizing resources are a guide to implement the program. Accountability and quality assurance are concerns for the agency’s future.
The community-wide initiative relates to my program evaluation because it is relative to the demographic and population the agency I am researching serves. The initiative gives a perspective on the positive approaches and phases needed to implement a program for intervention strategies. It gives information that could prove useful in my evaluation of the program I am researching.
Mullet, E., Nabors, L., Rosener, L., Shugarman, R., Weist, M., Woeste, R. (2004). Assessement, prevention, and intervention activities in a school-based program for children experiencing homelessness. Behavior Modification, 28, 565 – 578. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1177/0145445503259517
50% of children who were living in homeless shelters needed mental health services and not receiving them. A strategy to help homeless children is to bring the mental health services to the schools. This gave children the opportunity to access needed care. A summer program was implemented by the School Mental Health Program where 141 homeless children participated. Mental health promotion sessions, child mental and overall health assessments, and empowerment sessions were executed during the camp. The results were surveys by teachers and children about their overall satisfaction of the program. The program was deemed successful in bringing services to homeless children through a school-based program. However, the program never launched, and school-based programs cease to exist. The article includes reasons and factors behind this as well as the problems with the failure of the program.
This article provides research to my agency because it discusses the school-based program to reduce the risks children experience in child homelessness. It gives valuable information on how a community program can positively impact children that are homeless. The survey gives evidence-based research on the effects of these programs as well as factors that contribute to the decline of effective execution of the program.
Ruffolo, M.C., Evans, M.E. & Lukens, E.P. (2003). Primary prevention programs for children in the social service system. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 23, 425-450. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1023/A:1022272410628
Children in foster care have three to seven times more acute and chronic health conditions when compared to children not in foster care. Within the social services system, development of interagency community-based systems of care emerged to meet the needs of children and adolescents with more severe problems that cross system boundaries. The system of care philosophy requires that services be child-centered, family-focused, culturally-competent, and community-based. The three primary focuses of prevention are to encourage services that deal with the many needs of children and families, bring various agencies together to provide multiple services, and develop partnerships between service providers and families. The article focuses on different areas of the children in need such as, children in the juvenile system, children of incarcerated parents, children living with substance abuse and children who are homeless. The article brings attention to resiliency in children and preventative measures needed that are ecologically focused.
The article relates to the population and type of agency for my program evaluation. The article gives in-depth information on preventative measures and ecologically focused strategies that social service programs can use. It provides extensive research on children in various environments and ways to effectively address and improve living conditions.