Governing Well-Being for Youth in Child Welfare: What Influences Decisions to Refer to Services and an Evaluation of Social Interventions

Abstract

My dissertation focuses on the well-being of children who have been involved in the child welfare system, which has been understudied within sociology. To conduct this research, I use theories of child welfare involvement to further our understanding of child well-being for this especially vulnerable population. My analyses use quasi-experimental methods that utilize a nationally representative panel dataset. Chapter Two explores how peer support groups impact depression symptoms for youth involved in the child welfare system. I find a statistically nonsignificant negative association (e.g., when youth participate in peer support groups, their depression symptoms decrease). Chapter Three investigates how extracurricular activities affect academic achievement, and finds that participating in structured activities increases academic achievement scores. Chapter Four classifies child welfare organizations based on organizational culture and climate measures before analyzing factors influencing service referral decisions within the child welfare system. I, along with my co-authors, identify three classes of child welfare organizations, and find case, caseworker, and external characteristics are associated with the decision to refer a youth to services. I conclude by discussing potential extensions to this research agenda, before discussing more broadly how sociology can continue incorporating child welfare research within the discipline.