Older youth in Arkansas foster care may soon receive improved transitional programs following research conducted by four Clinton School students.
Todun Afolabi of Osun State, Nigeria, Dylan Buffalo of Las Vegas, Nev., Russell Carey of Jacksonville, Ark., and Leslie Miller Harris of Clarksville, Ark., partnered with the Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Children and Family Services to complete the study.
Their research focused on foster youth between the ages of 14 and 21 with special placement considerations, such as those with a mental and behavioral disabilities; teen parents; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning teens; previously incarcerated youth; sex offenders; and runaways or homeless youth.
The goal of the seven-month study was to find model programs from other states that Arkansas could implement to benefit members of these target populations. Emphasis was placed on finding programs that have undergone rigorous evaluations and demonstrate a clear link between the key elements of the program and the improved outcomes for foster youth.
“I want older youth in foster care to have access to the best possible programs that will meet their unique needs and prepare them for living independently,” said Jonathan Dunkley, state independent living coordinator for Transitional Youth Services. “The research done by the Clinton School students will be used as a guidebook by Arkansas providers that want to create programs to service older youth in foster care.”
For the Clinton School students who worked on the report, knowing that their research will improve the lives of youth in foster care was very motivating.
“People often hear negative statistics about foster care, but our research shows that some programs are having successful outcomes with foster youth,” Buffalo said. “I have no doubt that youth in Arkansas can also benefit from these programs.”
The report will be finalized and presented to the Department of Human Services executive board and key stakeholders in April.
Afolabi, Buffalo, Carey and Harris are first-year students in the Master of Public Service program at the Clinton School. Theirs is one of ten projects completed this year by 36 Clinton School students across the state of Arkansas.
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