Elsevier

Evaluation and Program Planning

Volume 64, October 2017, Pages 69-77
Evaluation and Program Planning

Evaluation of a multi-site program designed to strengthen relational bonds for siblings separated by foster care

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2017.05.006Get rights and content

Highlights

  • A camp-based program designed to provide short-term reunification to siblings separated by foster care was described and evaluated.

  • Youth ratings of sibling conflict were lower following camp participation.

  • Changes in ratings of sibling support varied across camp locations.

  • Prior exposures to the camp experience were associated with an increase in sibling support.

Abstract

Sibling relationships in foster care settings have received increased attention in recent years. Despite growing evidence regarding the protective potential of sibling relationships for youth in care, some sibling groups continue to experience foster care related separation, and few programs exist to address the needs of these youth.

This study describes and evaluates Camp To Belong, a multi-site program designed to provide short-term reunification to separated sibling groups through a week-long summer camp experience. Using a pre-test post-test survey design, this paper examines changes in youth ratings of sibling conflict and sibling support across camps located in six geographically distinct regions of the United States. The effects of youth age, number of prior camp exposures, and camp location were tested using multilevel modeling procedures.

Findings suggest that participation in Camp To Belong may reduce sibling conflict, and improvements in sibling support are noted for youth who have had prior exposure to the camp’s programming. Camp-level variance in the sibling support outcome highlight the complex nature of relationships for siblings separated by foster care, and suggest the need for additional research. Lessons learned from this multi-site evaluation and future directions are discussed.

Introduction

Placement into substitute care for maltreatment related concerns are known to disrupt family bonds and relational continuity (Perry, 2006). This problem is particularly salient for youth who, in addition to being removed from their caregivers, may also experience separation from their siblings (Waid, Kothari, Bank, & McBeath, 2016).

In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the importance of sibling relationships for youth in substitute care (James, Monn, Palinkas, & Leslie, 2008; McBeath et al., 2014; Shlonsky, Bellamy, Elkins, & Share, 2005). Researchers have identified the conditions under which sibling groups are placed together or separated (Shlonsky, Webster, & Needell, 2003; Staff and Fein, 1992, Wulczyn and Zimmerman, 2005), and have found sibling co-placement may be beneficial to a youth’s placement stability (Albert and King, 2008, Waid et al., 2016), permanency (Akin, 2011, Leathers, 2005), and emotional well-being (Wojciak, McWey, & Helfrich, 2013; Linares, Min, Shrout, Brody, & Pettit, 2007; Tarren-Sweeney & Hazell, 2005). Federal legislation requires child welfare agencies to prioritize family and sibling based foster care placements whenever possible (Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008), and recently foster care specific intervention programs have been developed to strengthen the socio-emotional and relational needs of sibling groups, using community-based intervention strategies (Kothari et al., 2014, Linares et al., 2007, Linares et al., 2015).

Despite a growing body of evidence pointing to the protective potential of sibling bonds for youth in care, and federal initiatives driving practice to co-place siblings whenever possible, some sibling groups will continue to experience foster care related separation. Exact estimates on the number of sibling groups in care are difficult to determine, in part due to the timing of entry for members of sibling groups (Wulczyn, Korgan, & Harden, 2003), as well as limited capacity of federal and state agencies to systematically track the intactness among sibling groups over time. Despite these limitations, large-scale cross-sectional studies of sibling groups suggest at least one-third of youth placed in care will be separated from at least one or more of their siblings during their foster care stay (Shlonsky et al., 2003). These youth may be at greater risk for detrimental developmental and child welfare outcomes, and research on programs designed specifically to address the needs of separated sibling groups are absent from the empirical literature.

This study begins to fill an important gap in knowledge related to programming for siblings in foster care through an evaluation of Camp To Belong: a multi-site program designed to provide short-term reunification to separated sibling groups, through a week-long summer camp experience. In this paper, a description of the camp program is provided and followed by an evaluation of the program’s impact on two dimensions of the sibling relationship; sibling conflict, and sibling support. This evaluation also examines whether the participating youth’s age, number of prior camp program exposures, and location of the camp program influenced these relational outcomes. Following a report on the findings of the evaluation, a review of lessons learned and opportunities for future research is provided.

Section snippets

Literature review

Research on siblings in the developmental psychology and family literature underscore the important influence of sibling relationships on child development. Sibling relationships form long before intimate partner relationships, and often exist long after the death of primary caregivers (Feinberg, Solmeyer, & McHale, 2012; McHale, Updegraff, & Whiteman; 2012). These relationships provide some of the earliest opportunities for social-emotional and cognitive development (Brody, 1998, Dunn, 1998,

Limitations of current research

Despite what is known about the importance of sibling relationships in childhood development (Feinberg et al., 2012) and the protective effects of sibling co-placement on placement adaptation (Leathers, 2005), foster care stability (Albert & King, 2008; Waid et al., 2016), permanency (Akin, 2011), and well-being (Wojciak et al., 2013), some sibling groups will continue to experience foster care related separation. Few programs exist for specifically for sibling groups separated by foster care,

Mission & philosophy

Camp To Belongs’ mission is to provide brief, camp-based reunification to sibling groups who are separated by foster care. The program seeks to promote and strengthen sibling relationships, foster resilience and self-advocacy, provide opportunities to create lasting memories, normalize the feelings and experiences associated with placement into substitute care, and build a sense of community among its participants. The core values underpinning the program model are a belief in the importance of

Family groups

During camp participation youth are placed into “family groups” for daytime activities. These groups include siblings from the same family, as well as camp counselors who facilitate daytime programming for the family group over the course of the week. A total of 8–12 youth may constitute a family group. The total number of sibling groups in each family group varies according to the size of the sibling groups who participate. Individual camps are typically comprised of 5–7 family groups. The

Signature events

The Camp To Belong experience is structured around two primary domains: (1) typical camp experiences such swimming, boating, archery, challenge courses, sing-alongs, and meals, and (2) signature events. The program’s signature events are activities designed specifically to strengthen the sibling relationship and create lasting memories. The signature events of the Camp To Belong program are detailed below.

Theory

The Camp To Belong program identifies the sibling relationship as a primary mechanism to promote familial bonding and resilience for youth who are separated from one or more of their siblings following placement into foster care. The programs emphasis on strengthening the sibling relationship, fostering resilience, self-advocacy, and positive identity formation align most closely with theories of positive youth development and positive youth development programs (Catalano, Berglund, Ryan,

Research questions

This evaluation sought to determine if participation in the Camp To Belong program influenced two dimensions of the sibling relationship: sibling conflict and sibling support. The decision to examine sibling conflict and support was informed by the developmental psychological literature which identifies these dimensions of the sibling relationship as important to youth’s psychosocial (Kim et al., 2007; Yeh & lempers, 2004) and behavioral (Bank et al., 2004, Snyder et al., 2005) development. We

Sample

Data for this investigation was drawn from 354 camp participants in 6 geographically distinct camp locations in the United States. Across all six locations of the Camp To Belong program, the average number of participants per camp location was 61 youth (x¯ = 60.9, sd = 23, range = 29–103). The age range of youth was 7 to 21 years (x¯ = 12.3, SD = 3.0, n = 346), with a slightly greater number of female (52.2%, n = 187) and non-white (54.9%, n = 197) participants. The average size of the sibling group was 3

Analytic plan

This evaluation focused on examining changes in youth ratings of sibling support and sibling conflict between the initiation of camp programming and again at the conclusion of camp five days later. This evaluation sought to determine if changes in youth reported outcomes could be attributed to the age of the responding youth and the number of prior experiences youth have had with the Camp To Belong program. With an emphasis on determining the potential impact of the program on youth

Sibling support

Youth reported higher ratings of sibling support prior to camp programming (x¯ = 3.55, sd = 0.47, CI = 3.50–3.61) than at the completion of camp (x¯ = 3.45, sd = 3.38, CI = 3.38–3.52). The paired samples t-test suggest the change in ratings of sibling support between pre-test and post-test were statistically significant (x¯ = −0.11, sd = 0.56, t(273) = 3.14, p < 0.01, CI = −0.17 to −0.04). A post-estimation of the t-test effect size (d = −0.20) suggests the overall reduction in sibling support was small (Fig. 1).

The

Discussion

In this evaluation, youth reported higher levels of sibling support prior to camp programming than at the completion of camp. These findings were unexpected and inconsistent with our study hypothesis. Approximately 6% of the variance in youth reports of sibling support was attributable to the location of the camp program the youth attended. Variance in sibling support could be a result of program, youth, or sibling group characteristics. Beyond the camp location and the structured format of the

Limitations

There are a number of important limitations to this study that should be noted. First, participants are selected into the camp program based on their ability to participate fully in the week’s activities. This is a form of selection bias, and conclusions about the program’s impact can only be drawn for the youth who provided data for this evaluation. Second, this study did not employ a comparison group, so the influence of the Camp To Belong program on youth reports of sibling conflict and

Lessons learned

In reviewing the findings of this evaluation with program stakeholders, a number of considerations have developed for future evaluation of the Camp To Belong program. This evaluation crossed six camp locations, and stakeholders from the program did not possess the capacity (e.g., funding, staffing, infrastructure) to conduct survey-based evaluation of participating youth in the months prior to their arriving at camp or in the months following completion of camp programming. It is possible that

Conclusion

Despite advances in research, practice, and policy related to sibling co-placement, a population of youth in care will continue to experience separation from their siblings. This evaluation is one of the first to examine a camp-based visitation program designed specifically to address the relational needs for sibling groups experiencing foster care related separation. Findings from this evaluation suggest the Camp To Belong program may be promising for reducing sibling conflict, and

Author declaration

The authors of this manuscript are members of the Camp To Belong program evaluation committee and have the approval of the organization to publish this research. Institutional Review Board approval for this evaluation was provided by the corresponding (first) authors academic institution.

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