Suchergebnisse

The staff practices and organizational processes of child welfare agencies and courts influence families' experiences and outcomes. Capacity building services have been delivered to improve organizational performance and practices, but studies of their impact are hampered by a lack of data on specific features of services. This study describes services delivered by the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative during 2017–2019 using data from the Collaborative's service and outcome tracking system. By supporting more rigorous study, these data can promote service improvements. These service data also provide a baseline that can be used to explore how services may change over time in response to federal legislation and social contextual factors such as the coronavirus pandemic.

AbstractIndirect support seeking has been theoretically identified as a support seeking strategy that may backfire and elicit negative responses or decreases in positive support. Moreover, past support responses that are either inadequate or negative have been theoretically linked to the use of indirect support seeking. Yet, no empirical studies have examined the potential reciprocal relation between indirect support seeking and perceived support in intimate relationships. Utilizing data from 204 new parents, we tested longitudinal cross‐lagged path models to examine the reciprocal relation between indirect support seeking and support perceptions. Results provided partial support for a reciprocal relation between indirect support seeking and perceived negative support responses. Furthermore, indirect support seeking negatively predicted relationship satisfaction across time, through perceived negative support responses.

AbstractObjectiveIn this research, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) tested the efficacy of two teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) curricula, Reducing the Risk and Love Notes, compared with a group of adolescents in a control condition, on primary pregnancy prevention among youth at high‐risk for teen pregnancy. A secondary purpose was to examine two potential mediators, negative beliefs about teen pregnancy and intentions to follow the sequence of completing education, marrying or establishing a committed relationship, and then having children.BackgroundTeen pregnancy rates for racial/ethnic minority youth in the United States are disproportionately high compared with White youth. Given the positive view of children in these populations and the drive for youth to form peer relationships and explore their sexuality, meeting these cultural and developmental needs within TPP may be critical.MethodsThe study examined the number of reported pregnancies across the first year after the interventions from a three‐arm, cluster RCT engaging 1,448 youth living in poverty between the ages of 14 and 19 years in 23 community‐based organizations in a southeastern U.S. city.ResultsAt the 1‐year follow‐up, youth in Love Notes report significantly fewer pregnancies compared with the control condition (18 pregnancies, 3.51%), F(2, 1,309) = 4.17, p = .02, d = 0.11. There was no significant difference between Reducing the Risk (31 pregnancies, 6.14%) and the control condition (27 pregnancies, 6.49%) in number of pregnancies. Less favorable attitudes about having a child as a teenager and other attitudes were associated with predicted outcomes.ConclusionsThis study provides additional evidence for the efficacy of Love Notes, which embeds sex education into a larger curriculum on life planning and healthy relationship formation and maintenance.Implications.TPP approaches need to add content on planning and relationships to comprehensive sexual education.