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The Special Youth Carer Program: An Innovative Program for At-Risk Adolescents in Foster Care

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Abstract

Placement instability is a pervasive and long-standing problem which adversely affects outcomes for many young people in foster care. The Special Youth Carer(SYC) program, developed in South Australia in response to the needs of at-risk adolescents, is an innovative model aimed at reducing placement instability and promoting positive behavior change. Based primarily upon the Treatment Foster Care (TFC) model, SYC incorporates an additional defining feature: in the event of a placement breakdown, it is the carer and not the young person who leaves the home. This report includes a description of the program, an overview of outcomes for eight of the first program participants who were monitored over a 12-month period, and interviews with two carers who experienced the breakdown of an SYC placement. Positive behavioral change was reported for most participants, and there were some noteworthy improvements in placement stability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Administration & Social Work, Flinders University, South Australia

    Robyn Gilbertson

  2. Central Altenative Care Services, Anglicare SA, Adelaide, Australia

    David Richardson

  3. School of Social Work, University of Toronto, Canada

    James Barber

Authors
  1. Robyn Gilbertson
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  2. David Richardson
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  3. James Barber
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Correspondence to Robyn Gilbertson.

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Gilbertson, R., Richardson, D. & Barber, J. The Special Youth Carer Program: An Innovative Program for At-Risk Adolescents in Foster Care. Child Youth Care Forum 34, 75–89 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-004-0883-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-004-0883-7

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