Building on Strength: Postitive Youth Development in Juvenile Justice Programs by William H. Barton and Jeffrey A. Butts, Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago

This report describes the results of an exploratory study of juvenile justice programs where managers and practitioners are attempting to build youth interventions with strength-based, positive youth development principles. Previous researchers have not adequately documented how such reforms take place, let alone whether they produce effective results for youth, families, and communities. When juvenile justice programs attempt to incorporate strength-based, positive youth development approaches in their work with young offenders, they will likely face resistance from their own staff and from key stakeholders. This study suggests that it is possible to implement these approaches in juvenile justice settings, but more research is needed to substantiate their effects.  July 2008

Research has found that foster youth who remain in care beyond age 18 are more likely to participate in services and tend to have better outcomes than those who do not. However, not all youth eligible to remain in care beyond age 18 do so. This study examines Illinois, one of the few states that extends care up to age 21, to identify the major factors that influence whether young people remain in care beyond 18. The study involved analysis of administrative data, a statewide survey of caseworkers, focus groups with substitute caregivers and with youth, and site visits to interview court personnel across the state. Findings indicate that strong advocacy within the juvenile court on behalf of foster youth plays a primary role in keeping youth in care. In Illinois, courts supervise all cases of youth in foster care, so once court jurisdiction ends, state care and services irrevocably end as well. By keeping cases open, court advocacy enables youth to continue to remain in care and receive other child welfare services. Court advocacy can also affect retention rates indirectly by exerting an influence on other factors that play a role in foster care decisions regarding keeping foster youth in care. A higher degree of court advocacy is associated with a greater availability of placements and services for older foster youth, more involvement by caseworkers and other adults, more positive attitudes about remaining in care beyond 18, and a greater awareness that, by law, youth may remain in care beyond 18.

Authors: Clark Peters, Katie S. Claussen Bell, Andrew Zinn, Robert M. Goerge, Mark E. Courtney

Closing the Achievement Gap: The Anatomy of Influence by Tory Read,  Annie E. Casey Foundation

Looks at Casey's efforts to influence the education policy environment by gathering evidence of proven and promising practices, engaging target audiences, and delivering accessible messages. Profiles influence tools that have led to concrete results. January 2008

A Collective Responsibility, a Collective Work: Supporting the Path to Positive Life Outcomes for Youth in Economically Distressed Communities by Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt, Center for Law and Social Policy

Many poor communities lack resources to provide comprehensive support to young people to allow them to transition to productive adulthood. To bring focus to this deleterious situation, data from 10 communities across the country will be used to highlight the magnitude of the challenges faced by youth growing up in these cities. Cities were selected based upon their graduation rates (less than 60 percent) and their rates of child poverty (greater than 30 percent). The 10 cities highlighted in this paper are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Oakland, and Philadelphia. These cities represent both areas of the country traditionally labeled as "distressed" as well as others where problems are more masked because the community appears to be thriving. - May 2008

"GAO Report on Disconnected Youth - Federal Action Could Address Some of the Challenges Faced by Local Programs That Reconnect Youth to Education and Employment." The GAO reviewed 39 local programs that differed in their funding sources and program structure, yet shared some characteristics, such as years of experience serving youth. These programs received funding from multiple sources: federal, state, local, and private, although most relied on some federal funds. They were structured differently - for example, some were community-based organizations that provided services on a daily basis, some were charter schools, and some offered residential living. Most of the programs were created to address local concerns such as youth homelessness or dropout rates, and many had at least 10 years of experience serving youth. - Feb. 2008

The guide provides an overview of the underlying theory and effective practices for engaging at-risk youth in service by examining the roles young people played-- and can play-- in serving their communities. The audiences for this publication are public officials, youth service and service-learning practitioners and teachers, researchers and others whose mission is to plan and implement community service programs for youth with diverse experiences and backgrounds.
Authors: Sejal Hathi & Bob Bhaerman

"Engaging Youth... On Their Turf: Creative Approaches to Connecting Youth through Community" by Abby Kahn, Janet Max, and Pat Paluzzi, Healthy Teen Network

This new publication focuses on how adolescent health professionals can utilize creative approaches to engaging youth in positive youth development. The publication highlights six examples of programs that reach out to youth in non-traditional communities through parental engagement, athletics, service-learning, art, mentoring, and youth empowerment approaches. The publication provides some next steps for professionals to develop or adapt creative approaches like those described here in existing programs for youth. 2007