ORCID
Ryan Heath: 0000-0002-1656-018X
Document Type
Article
Date
Fall 10-30-2021
Keywords
out-of-school time, extracurricular activities, afterschool programs, educational outcomes, nonparental care, child welfare
Language
English
Disciplines
Developmental Psychology | Development Studies | Educational Sociology | Education Policy | School Psychology | Social Justice | Social Policy | Social Psychology and Interaction | Social Welfare | Social Work | Sports Studies
Description/Abstract
Purpose: Children who grow up outside the care of their biological parents – e.g., those in adoptive, foster, or kinship (AFK) care – experience poorer educational outcomes than their peers. However, the protective factors that could mitigate any risks of AFK care have received less attention. One understudied area is the participation of AFK youth in organized activities (e.g., extracurricular or afterschool programs).
Method: Drawing on nationally representative data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (n=16,197), this study used multilevel modeling to (1) examine the association of AFK care status with organized activity participation and with educational outcomes; and (2) examine whether such participation moderates any association between AFK care status and later educational outcomes (GPA, college expectations, college enrollment and college degree). In addition to a binary measure of participation, multiple dimensions of activity participation (i.e., type, breadth, and intensity) were tested as moderators.
Results: Findings show that youth in AFK care reported significantly lower rates of activity participation, as well as poorer education outcomes as compared to other youth. However, there was little evidence of moderation: organized activity participation was associated with improved educational outcomes regardless of care status.
Discussion: The possible benefits of participation for youth in AFK care are similar to those for other youth. Implications for the intersection of child welfare and educational systems are discussed, including the need to ensure developmental opportunities for youth in AFK care.
ISSN
1573-2797
Recommended Citation
Heath, R. D., Park, K., & Millward, S. F. (2021). Opportunities for positive youth development: The organized activity participation and educational outcomes of adolescents in adoptive, foster, and kinship care. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-021-00802-8
Source
Submission
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Included in
Developmental Psychology Commons, Development Studies Commons, Educational Sociology Commons, Education Policy Commons, School Psychology Commons, Social Justice Commons, Social Policy Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons, Social Welfare Commons, Social Work Commons, Sports Studies Commons
Additional Information
This document is the authors’ Accepted Manuscript, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. The Final Published manuscript is available from the publisher, Springer Nature.
The recommended citation for the article is listed below.