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A Meta-analysis of the Effects of Mentoring on Youth in Foster Care

  • Empirical Research
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Abstract

Research suggests that mentoring programs may promote a range of positive outcomes in youth populations. Less is known, however, about the extent to which such programs are effective in specialized youth populations, such as youth involved in the foster care system. The current study aimed to investigate the extent to which mentoring interventions promote positive outcomes among youth involved in the foster care system and to systematically explore factors that may moderate the effectiveness of mentoring interventions. Using a multilevel meta-analytic approach, this study estimated the effect size of nine formal mentoring programs in the United States serving youth involved with the foster care system (total n = 55,561). Analyses revealed a small-to-medium-sized overall effect (g = 0.342). Moderator analyses revealed weaker effects for studies containing higher proportions of youth with emotional abuse histories. Programs deploying near-peer mentors were more than twice as effective as intergenerational mentors. The findings highlight the salience of emotional abuse history, suggesting the utility of providing mentor trainings in trauma-informed care for this population.

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Authors’ Contributions

C.Y.S.P. conducted literature searches, identified relevant studies, co-led development of coding schemes as well as data management and coding of relevant studies, conducted the statistical analyses, and contributed to drafts of the manuscript. K.M.C. conducted literature searches, identified relevant studies, co-led development of coding schemes and coding of relevant studies, and contributed to drafts of the manuscript. J.E.R. conceptualized the study, oversaw study execution, and contributed to drafts of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

K.M.C. would like to acknowledge support from the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Data Sharing and Declaration

The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA, USA

    Cyanea Y. S. Poon, Kirsten M. Christensen & Jean E. Rhodes

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  1. Cyanea Y. S. Poon
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  2. Kirsten M. Christensen
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  3. Jean E. Rhodes
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Correspondence to Cyanea Y. S. Poon.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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The study was conducted in compliance with APA ethical principles. The study consisted of secondary analyses of de-identified data, and therefore did not require formal consent or approval by the University of Massachusetts Boston Institutional Review Board.

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Poon, C.Y.S., Christensen, K.M. & Rhodes, J.E. A Meta-analysis of the Effects of Mentoring on Youth in Foster Care. J Youth Adolescence 50, 1741–1756 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01472-6

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