An Evaluation of a Community Life Skills Program for Adolescents in Foster Care

Abstract

Research indicates that adolescents who spent time in the foster care system are ill-prepared for independent living at the age of 18 and often experience negative outcomes due to this. The ability to live independently, after spending time in the foster care system, is partly dependent on one’s capacity to acquire and engage in adequate performance of various life skills. Some of these skills include budgeting, locating appropriate housing, and selecting higher education options, and should all be taught while still in foster care. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a life skills course provided by a community organization, StopGap Inc., by assessing skill acquisition of adolescents on various life skills. The participants included adolescents in the Kansas foster care system who are between the ages of 13 and 17. A pilot study was conducted using a natural comparison and control group design. Data were collected by direct observation, with pre-and post-assessment comparisons used to determine skill acquisition. The results revealed an increased acquisition of life skill across all participants, but no conclusion can be drawn from this data. Study one was conducted using a multiple baseline probe design across participants and skills to show better control of the intervention effects. This study extends the literature by assessing the use of behavioral approaches to improving performance of life skills among adolescents within the child welfare system.