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Chapter 1 - What is Eva's Phoenix?
Chapter 2 - Eva's National Initiative
Chapter 3 - Homeless Youth - Who Are They?
Chapter 4 - Effective Programs
for Homeless Youth
Chapter 5 - Developing the Vision
for Eva's Phoenix
Chapter 6 - Turning the Vision into Reality
Chapter 7 - Developing Strategic Partnerships
Chapter 8 - Working with Funders
Chapter 9 - Youth Goal-Setting and
Case Management Approach
Chapter 10 - Working with Youth
Chapter 11 - Mentorship
Chapter 12 - Working with Staff
Chapter 13 - Making the Transition
to Community
Chapter 14 - Social Enterprise
Chapter 15 - Evaluation
Chapter 16 - Policies and Procedures

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Chapter 4 - Effective Programs for Homeless Youth:
What do we know about what works?

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sub-section:a  b  c  d  

Reviewing the literature

As part of the evaluation of Eva’s Phoenix, a literature review was conducted to identify effective program models and resources.

 Summaries of Four Reviews of Youth development programs

At the present time, there is a far richer base of research and analysis in the United States. A review of 50 American programs, conducted by the American Youth Policy Forum (1997) over a 15-year period offered the following conclusions:

Why some programs shine
– Elements contributing to successful youth outcomes:

  • A focus on “key job-readiness skills” – basic mathematics, problem-solving, reading at higher levels, working effectively in groups, oral and written communication skills, and computer literacy;
  • The centrality of paid work and internships as a motivator and venue for learning job readiness skills and gaining access to employers;
  • Intensive, hands-on experiential occupational training in areas of labour market growth, supported by active employer involvement;
  • Continuity of contact with caring adults – teachers, employers, community members, others;
  • Financial incentives and recognition of achievement;
  • Post-placement support and leadership development.

Why the best-laid plans go awry – Factors with less successful programs and outcomes:

  • Single-component interventions addressing only one dimension of a young person’s developmental needs;
  • Short-term or low-intensity interventions;
  • Focus narrowly on remediating deficiencies rather than building on strengths;
  • Overlook the importance of family, peers and community in providing the supports and positive reinforcement to sustain forward progress in the program and outside it;
  • Legislative and regulatory barriers;
  • Insufficient investment in building infrastructure and staff capacity to support youth programs.

Policy tools for building skill levels and increasing opportunities for young people:

  • Local leadership should invest in system-building to create a youth opportunities infrastructure, building bridges among the various systems in which youth are involved – education, employment, welfare, community service, recreation and juvenile justice – in order to create a more comprehensive and efficient youth services delivery system.
  • State and local leadership should combine existing resources more creatively, including funds from public education, welfare/social service block grants, and the juvenile justice system;
  • A training fund should be developed to enhance the capacity of organizations serving youth and to provide professional development opportunities for youth workers;
  • Government legislation and regulations should serve as enablers, maximizing the effectiveness of successful program approaches and supporting efforts to combine them for greater impact;
  • The public and private sectors should continue investing in the expansion of the existing knowledge base about how youth acquire skills, access jobs, remain employed and build careers;
  • Promising approaches need to be tested at scale and implemented more broadly;

Efforts should include post-placement education and training opportunities leading to better jobs and higher wages.

Another useful resource for program development and evaluation is Effective Practices Criteria Workbook: Building Quality Programs for America’s Youth, prepared by the Promising and Effective Practices Network (2002). This workbook provides information on the following:

  • An improvement process for programs
  • Criteria for effective practices
  • A guide to self-assessment
  • A process for recognition and peer review

 

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