Date of Award

5-1-2023

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Educational Policy and Leadership

Content Description

1 online resource (vii, 146 pages) : illustrations (some color)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Mitch Leventhal

Committee Members

Martha Asselin, Sarah Mountz

Keywords

Foster Care Alumni, Foster Scholars, Foster Youth, Higher Education, Support Services, Ex-foster children

Subject Categories

Education Policy

Abstract

Foster Care Alumni (FCAs), or individuals who left the foster care system either by aging out, adoption, or returning to their family of origin, typically make up a small, fragmented portion of the student body at higher education institutions. This group is increasingly referred to as Foster Scholars on higher education campuses. FCAs tend to have unique and significant challenges like lack of support, need for mental and emotional health services, financial needs beyond tuition and campus fees, and the need for enhanced academic support. This dissertation provides an understanding of FCAs and their academic, emotional, and social needs. It looks at how the State University of New York (SUNY) higher education system uses the Foster Youth College Success Initiative (FYCSI) to address these needs. By conducting an ex-post Theory of Change assessment, this study weighs SUNY’s espoused theories-of-action against their participating campus’ theories-in-use to understand the level of implementation fidelity at the institutional level. This study also sought to determine if campuses align with holistic FCA program services, as defined by this study. Survey results determined that most participating SUNY campuses align with FYCSI policy, with at least six of the eighteen campuses also aligning with FYCSI and holistic FCA program services.

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