Browsing by Subject "foster care"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Considerations for Occupational Therapists in Developing Community-Level Interventions for Youth with High Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
    (Western Michigan University, 2022) Wilburn, Victoria G.; Huber, Megan E; Senter, Denise; Stoll, Hannah B.; Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Drug misuse likely contributes to the over 30,000 children in foster care and to the 24.2% of children who have experienced two or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Twenty-five percent of children are living in poverty, with nearly half of those living in single-parent households. Among the national guidelines to preventing ACEs are connecting youth with positive activities and providing family relationship enhancement opportunities. We believe the profession of occupational therapy can help contribute to the mental and behavioral health care workforce in a greater capacity than is currently used. Many children are not afforded the opportunity to engage in novel leisure pursuits that are essential for positive mental health function and well-being. Occupational therapists can assist in creating a culture of health and equity for youth by harnessing the power of play and leisure to promote self-healing communities.
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    Easing Transition: The Journal as a Transitional Object for Adolescents in Emergency Shelter Care
    (2021-05) Dunn, Amanda; Misluk, Eileen
    The 437,283 children involved in the foster care system, specifically the adolescents in institutions like emergency shelter care, present specific needs including continuity, trauma-informed care, and positive relationships. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to explore how a journal could act as a transitional object (TO) to help meet the needs of adolescents in emergency shelter care. It was hypothesized that the use of a reflective visual journal will act as a TO and help meet the needs of this population. Resulting from this research is a proposal for making a journal for use as TO in a therapeutic workshop. Literature was reviewed through an integrative literature review, which used representative literature to form new perspectives on the topics. Resulting from this research is a proposal for making a journal for use as TO in a therapeutic workshop. From this research and workshop proposal, art therapy and journaling can be used to create TO that can help bring healing to and meet the needs of adolescents in emergency shelter care.
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    “Failure Looks Like this Child is Still in Limbo”: Foster Parent Experiences of Failed Pre-adoptive Placements
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Bloomquist, Kori R.; Helfenbein, Robert J.
    Pre-adoptive or “waiting” children are those who have a case plan of adoption and/or whose parental rights have been terminated. There are currently over 107,000 pre-adoptive children in the United States, and on average, they have been living in foster care for over three years. A lack of permanency is associated with a milieu of negative consequences while achieving permanent, stable relationships is significant in developing a sense of self and overall, long-term well-being. Failed pre-adoptive placements represent a significant barrier to achieving permanency; however, the phenomenon of failed pre-adoptive placements has been underexplored. This study uses phenomenology, a philosophical method and study of experience, to explore how pre-adoptive foster parents make meaning of their experiences of failed pre-adoptive placements. Participants fostered at least one pre-adoptive child with the intent, willingness, and/or openness to adopt the child, but the placement did not result in an adoption and the child moved to an alternative placement. The primary research question for this study is “What is the experience of a foster parent who has had a failed pre-adoptive placement?” Findings from in-depth interviews reveal that pre-adoptive foster parents enter into pre-adoptive placements with multiple motivations and personal expectations. Experiences which do not confirm these expectations often contribute to decisions to end a pre-adoptive placement. Participants are at times motivated by fear and feel compelled to make decisions to end placements on behalf of alternative roles (i.e. biological mother, spouse, neighbor, etc.). Pre-adoptive parents appear to have a future orientation that serves as a guiding force in decisions to continue or end a pre-adoptive placement. Participants describe feelings of grief, loss, and inadequacy. Findings contribute to the body of knowledge and have implications for foster and pre-adoptive training and support and encourage greater understandings within child welfare for improved permanency planning and practice.
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    Overrepresented and Underserved: A Humanistic Art Therapy Group Proposal for Queer Youth in Out of Home Care
    (2024) Thompson, Dollee; Misluk, Eileen; Chopra, Natasha
    The purpose of this review was to explore existing literature on the clinical needs of queer youth in out-of-home care and propose an evidenced-based art therapy group for this population. A traditional literature review was used to gain an understanding of the needs of queer youth, protective factors, minority stress and resilience, and therapeutic approaches. The thematic analysis found queer youth in out-of-home care have experienced more disruption in the development of their physiological needs. These findings were used in the development of a six-level group art therapy proposal for queer youth in out-of-home care. The proposal addresses the needs, challenges and strengths of the population and provides art directives, materials, goals, themes, psychoeducation, and processing questions. The implications of this group proposal are to support this population through research and resources and create more evidenced based approaches for their needs.