Abstract
Children in foster care are at high risk for poor psychosocial outcomes, including school failure, alcohol and other substance abuse, and criminal behaviors. Promoting healthy development by increasing broad-impact positive skills may help reduce some of the risk factors for longer-term negative outcomes. School readiness has been linked to a number of positive outcomes across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and may also boost intermediary positive skills such as self-competence. This paper presents findings from a longitudinal study involving 192 children in foster care who were 5 years old at the start of the study. They participated in a randomized controlled trial of a school readiness program to prepare them for kindergarten. Outcomes were assessed at third grade (9 years old) on variables associated with risk for later involvement in substance use and delinquency. These included positive attitudes towards alcohol use, positive attitudes towards antisocial behaviors, and involvement with deviant peers. Results showed that the intervention decreased positive attitudes towards alcohol use and antisocial behaviors. Further, the mediating role of children's self-competence was tested. The intervention positively influenced children's third-grade self-competence, which in turn, decreased their involvement with deviant peers. Findings suggest that promoting school readiness in children in foster care can have far-reaching, positive effects and that increased self-competence may be a mechanism for reducing risk.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 156-165 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Children and Youth Services Review |
| Volume | 65 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 Jun 1 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The contents of this article were developed under grants R01DA021424 and P50DA035763 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S. PHS . The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding organization. Katherine Pears and Philip Fisher are developers of the Kids In Transition to School Program. The authors thank Deena Scheidt for project management, Diana Strand and Michelle Baumann for editorial assistance, and the staff and families of the Kids In Transition to School project for their ongoing dedication and participation. Correspondence regarding this article should be addressed to Dr. Katherine C. Pears, Oregon Social Learning Center, 10 Shelton McMurphey Boulevard, Eugene, OR 97401; Telephone: 541-485-2711 ext. 1300; Email: katherinep@oslc.org
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Education
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Sociology and Political Science
