Reducing the Digital Divide for Children in Foster Care: First-Year Evaluation of the Building Skills-Building Futures Program

Objective: This article describes the first-year evaluation outcomes of a program developed to increase information technology access and skills among foster children and families within the context of a long-term foster care environment. Method: A sample of 34 foster families who received computers, Internet connection, and supportive services was compared with 30 foster families not in the program using survey methods and a posttest only design. Results: The results indicated after a year in the program, foster families increased their frequency of computer use, confidence in using computers and the Internet, and frequency of e-mail with social workers. Parents and foster children perceived the program to be useful in improving children’s technology skills, homework, grades, and interest in technology-related careers. Conclusion: The program appears to be successful in spite of lack of full implementation of the program model. Implications for future digital divide programs are discussed.

[1]  Donald A. Schön,et al.  The Computer Clubhouse: Technological Fluency in the Inner City , 1998 .

[2]  Jerry Finn,et al.  Building Skills–Building Futures: Providing Information Technology to Foster Families , 2004 .

[3]  S. Graham,et al.  Service not Included: Private Services Restructuring, Neighbourhoods, and Social Marginalisation , 1999 .

[4]  H. Becker.  Who's wired and who's not: children's access to and use of computer technology. , 2000, The Future of children.

[5]  William J. Mitchell,et al.  Approaches to Community Computing: Bringing Technology to Low-Income Groups , 1998 .

[6]  Jacob Cohen.  Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences , 1969, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[7]  M. Lipsey,et al.  The efficacy of psychological, educational, and behavioral treatment. Confirmation from meta-analysis. , 1993, American Psychologist.

[8]  David Bolt,et al.  Digital Divide: Computers and Our Children's Future , 2000 .

[9]  Gerald P. Mallon.  After care, then where? Outcomes of an independent living program. , 1998, Child welfare.

[10]  J. Daniels,et al.  Review of the Counseling Self-Efficacy Literature , 1998 .

[11]  Fabian A. Koss.  Children Falling into the Digital Divide , 2001 .

[12]  S. Graham.  Bridging Urban Digital Divides? Urban Polarisation and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) , 2002 .

[13]  L. Noble.  The Face of Foster Care. , 1997 .

[14]  Wendy Whiting Blome.  What Happens to Foster Kids: Educational Experiences of a Random Sample of Foster Care Youth and a Matched Group of Non-Foster Care Youth , 1997 .

[15]  E. Weinstein.  The self-image of the foster child , 1960 .

[16]  A. Nation.  Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet , 2002 .

[17]  G. Holden,et al.  Research self-efficacy , 1999 .