| 1. |
- Almquist, Ylva B., et al.
(författare)
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A decade lost : does educational success mitigate the increased risks of premature death among children with experience of out-of-home care?
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. - : BMJ. - 0143-005X .- 1470-2738. ; 72:11, s. 997-1002
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Past research has consistently identified children with experience of out-of-home care (OHC) as a high-risk group for premature mortality. While many have argued that educational success is a key factor in reducing these individuals’ excessive death risks, the empirical evidence has hitherto been limited. The aim of the current study was therefore to examine the potentially mitigating role of educational success for the association between OHC experience and premature mortality.Methods: Drawing on a Stockholm cohort born in 1953 (n=15,117), we analysed the associations between placement in OHC (ages 0-12), school performance (ages 13, 16, and 19), and premature all-cause mortality (ages 20-56) by means of Cox and Laplace regression analysis.Results: The Cox regression models confirmed the increased risk of premature mortality among individuals with OHC experience. Unadjusted Laplace regression models showed that these children died more than a decade, based on median survival time, before their majority population peers. However, among individuals who performed well at school, i.e. scored above-average marks at age 16 (grade 9) and age 19 (grade 12), respectively, the risks of premature mortality did not significantly differ between the two groups.Conclusion: Educational success seems to mitigate the increased risks of premature death among children with experience of OHC.
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| 2. |
- Brännström, Lars, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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Children Placed In Out-of-Home Care as Midlife Adults : Are They Still Disadvantaged or Have They Caught Up With Their Peers?
- 2017
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Ingår i: Child Maltreatment. - : SAGE Publications. - 1077-5595 .- 1552-6119. ; 22:3, s. 205-214
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- International research has consistently reported that children placed in out-of-home care (OHC) have poor outcomes in young adulthood. Yet, little is known about their outcomes in midlife. Using prospective data from a cohort of more than 14,000 Swedes born in 1953, of which nearly 9% have been placed in OHC, this study examines whether there is developmental continuity or discontinuity of disadvantage reaching into middle age in OHC children, compared to same-aged peers. Outcome profiles, here conceptualized as combinations of adverse outcomes related to education, economic hardship, unemployment, and mental health problems, were assessed in 1992–2008 (ages 39–55). Results indicate that having had experience of OHC was associated with 2-fold elevated odds of ending up in the most disadvantaged outcome profile, controlling for observed confounding factors. These findings suggest that experience of OHC is a strong marker for disadvantaged outcomes also in midlife.
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| 3. |
- Brännström, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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The truly disadvantaged? Midlife outcome dynamics of individuals with experiences of out-of-home care
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect. - : Elsevier BV. - 0145-2134 .- 1873-7757. ; 67, s. 408-418
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Little is known about developmental outcomes in midlife of persons who were placed in out-of-home care (OHC) in childhood. Utilizing longitudinal Swedish data from a cohort of more than 14,000 individuals who we can follow from birth (1953) to the age of 55 (2008), this study examines midlife trajectories of social, economic, and health-related disadvantages with a specific focus on the complexity, timing, and duration of disadvantage in individuals with and without childhood experience of OHC. Roughly half of the OHC alumni did not have disadvantaged outcomes in midlife. However, experience of OHC was associated with a two-fold risk for various forms of permanent disadvantage, net of confounding factors. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.
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| 4. |
- Forsman, Hilma, 1985-
(författare)
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Addressing poor educational outcomes among children with out-of-home care experience : Studies on impact, pathways, and interventions
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Children with out-of-home care (OHC; foster family/residential care) experience is a high-risk group for future adverse outcomes. With an ambition of supporting the design of effective preventive child welfare measures targeting children in OHC, the overall aim of this thesis is to examine education as a possible intervention path for improving their development and overall life chances.The thesis consists of four interrelated empirical studies that address different aspects of poor educational outcomes among children with OHC experience by means of analyses of longitudinal survey and register data, and evaluations of two interventions aimed at improving their basic academic skills.Study I examined the hypothesized causal effect of poor school performance on adverse outcomes in young adulthood among children with OHC experience. The results showed that poor school performance has an impact on later psychosocial problems net of observed and unobserved factors, suggesting that the estimated effects allow for causal interpretations.Study II explored educational outcomes at different stages in the educational career, and pathways to varied educational outcomes for children with OHC experience and their peers. The results showed that the OHC group had lower educational outcomes across the life course. Yet, by large, their educational pathways did not differ significantly from their peers – cognitive ability and previous school performance had the largest associations with the outcomes in both groups. However, the influence of these factors were weaker in the OHC group whilst the influence of the birth family’s attitude towards higher education was stronger.Study III aimed at furthering our understanding of the book-gifting program the Letterbox Club’s potential impact on foster family children’s reading skills. The results showed that participation in the program was associated with small improvements. In general, the program was well received by children and carers, and could result in increased reading. The study furthermore suggested that promotion of carer involvement may improve its potential impact.Study IV explored the process of conducting a structured paired reading intervention involving foster family children and their carers. Findings showed that it is possible to engage carers in interventions targeting the education of children in OHC, but that this is no automatic process – carers need a rationale for getting involved, and support in delivering the intervention.In sum, this thesis shows that improving the educational outcomes of children in OHC may be a viable intervention path in supporting their life course development, a path that historically has been overlooked. The thesis furthermore shows examples of promising interventions which may improve the basic academic skills of children in OHC. The results also point out that the child welfare system should provide early and continuous educational support, and highlight the importance of addressing adults’ attitudes, expectations, and involvement in these children’s education.
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| 5. |
- Forsman, Hilma, et al.
(författare)
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Does poor school performance cause later psychosocial problems among children in foster care? Evidence from national longitudinal registry data
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect. - : Elsevier BV. - 0145-2134 .- 1873-7757. ; 57, s. 61-71
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research has shown that children in foster care are a high-risk group for adverse economic, social and health related outcomes in young adulthood. Children's poor school performance has been identified as a major risk factor for these poor later life outcomes. Aiming to support the design of effective intervention strategies, this study examines the hypothesized causal effect of foster children's poor school performance on subsequent psychosocial problems, here conceptualized as economic hardship, illicit drug use, and mental health problems, in young adulthood. Using the potential outcomes approach, longitudinal register data on more than 7500 Swedish foster children born 1973–1978 were analyzed by means of doubly robust treatment-effect estimators. The results show that poor school performance has a negative impact on later psychosocial problems net of observed background attributes and potential selection on unobservables, suggesting that the estimated effects allow for causal interpretations. Promotion of school performance may thus be a viable intervention path for policymakers and practitioners interested in improving foster children's overall life chances.
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| 6. |
- Forsman, Hilma, 1985-
(författare)
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Exploring the Letterbox Club programme’s impact on foster children’s literacy : potent intervention or general support?
- 2019
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Ingår i: Oxford Review of Education. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0305-4985 .- 1465-3915. ; 45:4, s. 502-518
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The book-gifting programme, the Letterbox Club, was developed as a response to the increased interest in ways of improving the educational outcomes of children in out-of-home care. By reporting quantitative and qualitative findings from a Swedish trial, and compiling findings from previous British evaluations, the purpose of this paper is to further our understanding of the programme’s potential impact. Pre/post measurements of the reading age of 72 foster children showed an average improvement of 2.5 months in comparison to the national average. With some exceptions, interviews with children and carers showed that the programme was well received and indicated that it could increase reading engagement and carer involvement. The current empirical base knowledge suggests that the Letterbox Club has a small impact on foster children’s literacy. The results do not allow for causal interpretations. Long-term outcomes are unknown. The programme lacks a theoretical foundation, and the implementation is dependent on individual and contextual factors. However, the programme is simple to administer, low-cost, and can reach a large number of children. The article therefore suggests that the Letterbox Club could be seen as a general supportive measure, and promotion of carer involvement is proposed as a way of improving its potential impact.
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| 7. |
- Forsman, Hilma
(författare)
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Foster carers’ experiences of a paired reading literacy intervention with looked-after children
- 2017
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Ingår i: Child & Family Social Work. - : Wiley. - 1356-7500 .- 1365-2206. ; 22:1, s. 409-418
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previous studies have shown that paired reading, a structured literacy intervention, is a promising method for improving looked-after children's literacy skills. The aim of this study was to explore variations in foster carers' experiences of conducting the intervention. Interviews were carried out with 15 Swedish foster carers with varying experiences in programme compliance and of practicing the method. Findings suggest that the intervention process starts with getting carers involved, which seems to be dependent on a positive carer attitude. Integrating the reading training in the everyday life is another important aspect, which evolves around motivating the child and prioritizing the reading sessions. Furthermore, the results emphasize the need of having a flexible approach when delivering the intervention. The results suggest that it is possible to engage foster carers in literacy training for looked-after children and that paired reading can provide a model for competent reading and also result in improved child/carer relations. However, participants need support, and in some cases adjustments in the day-to-day delivery of the intervention are required.
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| 8. |
- Forsman, Hilma, et al.
(författare)
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Letterbox Club för barn i familjehem : Resultat från ett pilotprojekt i Stockholm
- 2016
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Rapport (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Bra skolresultat är viktigt för barns utveckling. Ett sätt att hjälpa barn att lyckas bättre i skolan är att ge dem stöd med sin läsning. I Storbritannien finns The Letterbox Club – en bokklubb för barn i familjehem som lett till förbättringar i barnens läsförmåga.Under 2014-2015 genomfördes det första svenska projektet med The Letterbox Club. Projektet startades av Bokspindeln och genomfördes i samarbete med Socialförvaltningen i Stockholms stad, åtta stadsdelar, Institutionen för socialt arbete vid Stockholms universitet och Regionbibliotek Stockholm.Syftet med projektet och utvärderingen var att testa och utvärdera idén med en bokklubb för familjehemsplacerade barn i Sverige.Projektet innebar att 31 barn i årskurs 2-4 fick bokpaket hemskickade med posten en gång per månad i ett halvår. I varje paket fanns det en faktabok och en kapitelbok, brev från Letterbox Club Sverige, författare och det närliggande biblioteket samt extra saker som pennor och bokmärken. Några barn och familjehemsföräldrar blev intervjuade om vad de tyckte om projektet, bokpaketen och deras innehåll. Intervjuerna visade att projektet var mycket uppskattat. Barnen tyckte att det var spännande att få bokpaket och roligt att få olika typer av böcker. Många hade läst mer under projektet än vad de vanligtvis gjorde, men för några var böckerna antingen för lätta eller för svåra. Familjehemsföräldrarna tyckte att det var ett bra och sympatiskt projekt. De trodde att det hade väckt barnens läslust och hade själva engagerat sig i barnens läsning på olika sätt.Som en del av utvärderingen gjordes även jämförelser av barnens testade läsförmåga före och efter att de hade fått alla bokpaketen. Resultaten visade att barnen i genomsnitt hade förbättrat sin läsålder med tolv månader under de sex månader projektet pågick. Det innebär att de som grupp sett förbättrade sin läsålder med sex månader mer än vad man normalt förväntar sig.Sammantaget verkar det som om The Letterbox Club kan starta en kedja av positiva processer och att dessa tillsammans kan bidra till att förbättra läsförmågan hos barn i familjehem.Det är dock viktigt att påpeka att de här resultaten bygger på en studie. Undersökningsgruppen har varit liten och utvärderingen har gjorts med en svag design eftersom det inte finns någon jämförelsegrupp (det vill säga en grupp barn som gjort samma tester, men inte fått några bokpaket). Det behövs därför fler utvärderingar och helst med jämförelsegrupp. Resultaten från pilotprojektet kan ändå ses som lovande.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Forsman, Hilma, 1985-
(författare)
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Läsresultaten
- 2017
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Ingår i: Letterbox Club Sverige – en intervention för att höja läsförmåga och inlärning hos barn i utsatta livssituationer. - : Region Jönköpings län, Stiftelsen Allmänna Barnhuset. ; , s. 18-25
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 11. |
- Forsman, Hilma, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Skolstödjande insatser för socialt utsatta barn
- 2017
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Ingår i: Skolsocialt arbete. - Malmö : Gleerups Utbildning AB. - 9789140695789 ; , s. 195-205
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 12. |
- Vinnerljung, Bo, et al.
(författare)
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Barn kan inte vänta : Översikt av kunskapsläget och exempel på genomförbara förbättringar
- 2015
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Samhället har tagit på sig ett stort ansvar för de barn som placeras utanför hemmet. Många av dem har upplevt svårigheter och inte fått tillräcklig omvårdnad. Ska dessa barn få samma möjlighet till ett gott liv som sina jämnåriga kamrater behöver de därför ett minst lika bra omhändertagande, av både fosterföräldrar och samhället i stort.Barn som lever i fosterhem är en mycket heterogen grupp. De behöver olika vård och bemötande i familjehemmet för att utvecklas optimalt. Just detta mycket komplexa förhållande berörs inte i denna kunskapsöversikt. Här har vi valt att fokusera på samhällets grundläggande omhändertagande av barnen.Tre primära beståndsdelar i den nordiska välfärdsmodellen är att ge barn en god och jämlik utbildning, förebygga hälsoproblem och underlätta övergången från barndom till vuxenliv. Det är dessa områden som beskrivs här. Den nordiska forskning som finns pekar på att barn som växer upp i fosterhem inte får samma goda stöd som andra barn på dessa områden och det tycks inte bli bättre under tiden i vård!Nordens Välfärdscenter och författarna presenterar konkreta rekommendationer om hur man kan förbättra situationen för fosterhemsplacerade barn. Det är rekommendationer som sannolikt förhindrar utanförskap och ohälsa för ett antal av dem på både kort och lång sikt.
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