Fostering Healthy Futures: An Innovative Preventive Intervention for Preadolescent Youth in Out-of-Home Care

• Published in: Child welfare Vol. 86; no. 5; pp. 113 - 131
• Main Authors: Taussig, Heather N., Culhane, Sara E., Hettleman, Daniel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Child Welfare League of America, Inc 01.09.2007; Child Welfare League of America
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Adolescents; At Risk Persons; Behavior; Case Management; Child; Child Abuse - diagnosis; Child Abuse - psychology; Child Abuse - therapy; Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Child Behavior Disorders - prevention & control; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child Development; Child mental health; Child Welfare; Child Welfare - psychology; Clinical trials; Cognitive Ability; Cognitive Development; Cognitive Therapy; Combined Modality Therapy; Community Programs; Competence; Cultural Influences; Educational Environment; Empowerment; Extracurricular Activities; Female; Focus groups; Foster Care; Foster Home Care - psychology; Health; Health services; Humans; Intervention; Male; Management; Medical screening; Mental Health; Mentors; Models, Psychological; Needs Assessment; Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care); Patient Care Team; Preadolescents; Prevention; Psychological Patterns; Psychology; Risk-Taking; School environment; Skill Development; Social Influences; Social policy; Social services; Social work; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - therapy; Students; Well Being; Youth; United States
• ISSN: 0009-4021

Fostering Healthy Futures (FHF) is a randomized, controlled trial of an innovative preventive intervention for preadolescent youth (ages 9-11) placed in out-of-home care. The program is designed to promote child well-being by identifying and addressing mental health issues, preventing adolescent risk behaviors, and promoting competence. This paper describes the design, implementation, and uptake of the FHF program as well as our approaches to the challenges of conducting research-based prevention work within a child welfare setting.