Date: To: From: Subject:

October 3, 2013 Technical Writing Class, A212, All Sections, Fall 2013 Tanya M Bennett, student researcher Proposal for Feasibility Study of a Peer Support Program for Foster Care Alumni Starting Their Freshman Year of College

PURPOSE
The purpose of this proposal is to seek authorization to study the feasibility of establishing a volunteer-based, peer-support program for foster-care alumni starting their first year of college at University of Alaska, Anchorage. For the purpose of this proposal, the word alumni specifically refers to those who were in foster care up to their eighteenth birthday, and have left care or are transitioning to independent living.

SUMMARY
In September of 2013, I requested permission of Krista Soria, Ph.D., to choose as a research topic the feasibility of creating and establishing a peer-based support network to aid foster care alumni during their first semesters in college. Dr. Soria granted permission to proceed with this topic. No group exists on any University of Alaska campus, which addresses the support network issues for new college students who were previously in foster care, and emancipated due to reaching adulthood. Due to the unique life experiences and challenges faced by alumni, many obstacles to success may be invisible. A peer-based support program would fill a void and have a positive impact on their academic, professional and personal success. I propose a study combining data collection, research of outside sources, and analysis of the combined data. Other potential sources of information are organizations or individuals who have access to alumni or knowledge of the situations affecting them. Attempts will be made to gather information from these sources also; any additional data, information or comments from these sources will become part of the final report. The study would provide preliminary data revealing the feasibility of creating such a group, and uncover obstacles to establishing a peer-support group at the university campus. Analysis of the data would identify if an interest in such a group exists, the level of understanding current students possess about their peers who may be foster care alumni, and if there might be support for a group established as an all-volunteer, peer-based program. If this proposal receives authorization, research would begin immediately. A formal Progress Report would be submitted to Dr. Soria by October 27, 2013. A recommendation letter, with the

research details and recommendations of how to proceed would be submitted on November 10, 2013. The final Feasibility Report would be submitted by December 12, 2013.

INTRODUCTION
When new students begin college, the entire arena of the education experience is different in significant and measurable ways. Some of these are skills-based: self-discipline, prioritizing, scheduling, or studying. Others are environmental or situational, such as the enrollment process or learning about important resources on campus. Still others cross multiple categories, or are more difficult to measure, but are still significant to a successful college career. Few alumni of foster care graduate from post-secondary education institutions. Youth who have reached adulthood while in foster care share the same challenges as their peers when enrolling and attending a university. Alumni often have additional challenges that can have an impact on their success. A lack of college preparedness, weak or unstable social support network, unfamiliarity with the city or region, limited resources and unpreparedness for independent living are all significant factors that can compound an already stressful endeavor. The obstacles they face upon emancipating or aging out of the system are many. The process of enrolling and attending college is daunting, and can be very difficult to navigate. I propose to study the feasibility of starting a program that would match current students at the University of Alaska, Anchorage campus, with new freshman students who have left the foster care system, to provide peer-based support to them in their first semesters of college. This study would answer the following questions: 1. Is there an actual need or potential benefit from establishing a volunteer-based, peersupport group for alumni? 2. Is there a potential volunteer pool from among current students who have completed their first year of college? 3. Would potential volunteers be interested in supporting such a program if they could earn some form of reward (i.e., college credit, a certificate of participation, letter of recommendation, public recognition, etc.)? 4. Is establishing such a group or program affordable? It is critical to identify the level of support a peer-group might generate, and to learn what may motivate a student to participate as a volunteer.

PROPOSED TASKS
With approval, the following tasks would be performed to identify the feasibility of establishing a volunteer-based, peer-support group for alumni attending college for the first time: Task 1. Perform research to acquire a thorough understanding of foster care alumni. Preliminary research has begun, starting with web searches to find previous studies conducted at the national, regional and state levels. Researching the completion rates of foster care alumni yielded startling facts. In the Alaska Foster Care Alumni Study (Casey Family Programs; University of Alaska Anchorage School of Social Work, et. al., 2005), findings reported that only 33.3% of Alaskas foster care alumni went on to education or training programs past high school. Of those who attended post-secondary education, only three respondents, making up 4.5% of those interviewed, had achieved a Bachelors degree or higher. Various factors affect these alumni, some having a negative impact on their college success and future, and costing the community in services and resources. Alaskas foster care alumni face challenges with resources, support, and independent living skills. Many emancipate under-prepared for independence. In a study conducted in the northwest United States, alumni experience low employment rates, low postsecondary graduation rates, and lower income levels (Peter J. Pecora, PhD, et al., 2005). This study revealed that one-third of 659 alumni interviewed lived at or below poverty level, which is three times the national average. The national poverty threshold in 2005 was $9,570 for a household of one. Today, it is $11,170. Without adequate education and career training, alumni will find it difficult to achieve earning levels sufficient to meet the demands of dayto-day living, or planning for a stable future. Those coming from foster care are also subject to unstable support systems (Peter J. Pecora, PhD, et al., 2005). Frequent moves, separation from family, guardians or loved ones, strained relations and few or weak friendships are all significant factors to the success of these alumni when attending school. Alumni investing in their education need support and guidance while navigating the challenges of college. Lacking in college preparedness and independent living skills (New York State Office of Children and Family Services, et al., 2009) could make college too difficult without additional support during the critical first semesters. How significant an impact these factors have in the lives of alumni requires further study.

Task 2. Learn the level of interest and support among current students. A program of this type would require current students to volunteer to be a support-peer for newly-enrolled alumni. It is important to identify if students will be supportive, and whether they would participate unconditionally or only with some form of compensation or reward. Given that university studies consume a lot of time and energy, some students may have only a small amount of time to offer, while others may be in a position to be more generous. The type of compensation considered is also important to discover.

Task 3. Prepare and distribute a questionnaire to the students of the Technical Writing course taught by Dr. Soria. A questionnaire will be used to gather data. The respondent pool will consist of students in Professor Sorias Technical Writing class, course registration number (CRN) 201303-71350, offered through Kenai Peninsula College Distance Education services. Although the source of the responses are generally known to be from students having a college class in common, all responses will be anonymous and confidential, within the boundaries of the intended pool. Response results will be tabulated, analyzed, and presented in a written report, with graphic representation of the data. Due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, difficulty in identifying people who belong to the alumni group, and issues of confidentiality, speaking directly with alumni is not within the scope of this initial study. Task 4. Write Letters of Inquiry to organizations and individuals with hands-on experience with alumni. Letters of inquiry will be sent to individuals who either potentially or historically have contact with foster care alumni. University personnel or faculty, individuals in social services organizations, and professionals in the community are an important resource of information on the current situation of transitioning youth. Due to concerns of confidentiality and privacy, requests and responses will be general in nature, and all identifiable information sanitized prior to publishing the final findings. Task 5. Analyze the data and information collected and prepare the recommendation report. Data would be compiled and analyzed , and the results of the study written into a recommendation report. The data acquired would be used to answer the questions we asked, and to provide any unexpected findings.

EXPERIENCE
I am an active student in good standing, enrolled in the University of Alaska, Anchorage Campus. I began my studies in the fall of 2011, and declared a major of Social Work in the spring of 2012. My qualifications are as follows: Current GPA of 3.59 Social Work major IRB Certificate for Research on Human Subjectscurrent through May 2015 Experience in research, data collection and survey-administering Worked for UAA-Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), May 2012 March 2013 ISER studies include: o TERRA, May 2012 o Health Care Vacancy Study, August 2012 o Alaska Native Sample Pool Acquisition Method Study, January 2013 Member of National Society of Collegiate Scholars2012 Member Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society2007 Worked for Alaska Computer Institute, Vocational Instructor1989-1998

REFERENCES
Casey Family Programs; University of Alaska Anchorage School of Social Work, et. al. (2005). Alaska Foster Care Alumni. Anchorage: Casey Family Programs. Retrieved September 12, 2013 Health, N. I. (201, February 23). National Institute of Child Health & Human Development Developmental Disabilities. Retrieved from National Institute of Health: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/developmental_disabilities.cfm New York State Office of Children and Family Services, et al. (2009, May 9). A White Paper on: Educational Opportunities for Youth in Care. Retrieved September 21, 2013, from New York State Office of Children and Family Services: http://ocfs.ny.gov/main/ddps/Edu_opp/White_Paper.pdf Peter J. Pecora, PhD, et al. (2005, March 14). Casey Family Programs--Improving Family Foster Care. Retrieved September 20, 2013, from Casey Family Programs: http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/pdf/ImprovingFamilyFosterCare_FR.pdf State of Alaska, Office of Children's Services, Independent Living, Education and Training Vouchers (ETV). (n.d.). Retrieved from State of Alaska, Office of Children's Services: http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/pdf/ImprovingFamilyFosterCare_FR.pdf