Minimizing Barriers to Placement for Foster Youth:
General Material Designation
[Thesis]
First Statement of Responsibility
Mitchum, Liane
Title Proper by Another Author
Examining the Impact of Intervention on Placement Outcomes
Subsequent Statement of Responsibility
Sherman, Mike
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
2020
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
101
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
Psy.D.
Body granting the degree
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Text preceding or following the note
2020
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
Child Welfare agencies are charged with the task of investigating child maltreatment allegations, moving children from harmful environments and transitioning them to safe, stable and nurturing environments, in addition to providing services to families and children across the nation. This is made possible through federal funding and research, qualified personnel such as social workers, mental health professionals, as well as willing individuals who open their homes to children, whether temporarily or permanently. Though out-of-home care was created as a temporary solution, several barriers exist which have increased the time children spend in out-of-home care. This quantitative study examined the effectiveness of the Intensive Treatment Foster Care (ITFC) program in terms of supporting placement stability and permanency for foster youth between the ages of 10- and 18-years-old. Participants were foster youth referred to the ITFC program in Los Angeles, California between 2017 and 2019. A statistically significant difference was not found in regards to the mean number of placement moves between the ITFC group and the non-ITFC group. However, a statistically significant difference was found in the mean number of days from referral to placement as well as the ability to achieve a permanent placement was found between the ITFC group and the non-ITFC group. This study was guided by Attachment theory as well as the Social Ecological Model and provides a comprehensive examination of existing literature regarding the history of federal legislation pertaining to child welfare, barriers to permanent placement, and existing intervention programs. By gaining an understanding of an intervention program created to address the specific barrier of child behavioral/emotional problems, more programs like ITFC can be implemented across child welfare agencies.