Comparing Year 9 and Year 10 May, 2012

Background Assessment and Action Record Interviews (AAR’s) are completed annually with all children and youth who have been in care for more than one year. The interviews are completed with caregivers and youth who are over the age of 10 years and ask questions about all areas of youth functioning. This presentation was prepared to highlight a few significant findings from 2010 – 2011 (Year 10) and compare the results with agency results from 2009 – 2010 (Year 9) as well as results from across the province, where available. A full report containing all of the findings is available.

Who Completed Interviews? The agency is doing a good job with Permanency Planning. There were only five children under the age of 9 who were in care more than the one year required for completion of the AAR interview. Because there are so few children under the age of 10, results are presented only for the older age groups. The change in the number of AAR’s completed with the older group is a reflection of the “cohort” of youth in care moving through the system. Age GroupNumber of AAR’s Year 9 Number of AAR’s Year 10 0 – 4 years91 5 – 9 years24 10 – 15 years – 18 years2321

Family Based Care vs Group Care Family based care is defined as residing in an agency operated foster home, a Kinship home, Customary Care (children with Native Ancestry), or Adoption Probation. Children and youth supported by Elgin were more likely to reside in family based care than the provincial average. Especially in the younger age group, Elgin is well below the provincial average in the percentage of youth residing in group care settings.

Fewer of Elgin’s youth are taking behavioural or mood altering medications than their provincial counterparts.

Academic Achievement The Academic Achievement Scale is comprised of 4 questions relating to the caregiver’s perception of how the youth is performing in reading, math, science, written work, and overall performance. The maximum scale score is 8. Of concern, is the poor academic performance seen in the younger age group. Of the 21 youth with valid scale scores, caregivers reported that 9 of the youth were performing “poorly” in all academic areas. We will be following up on this finding

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a 20 item questionnaire that is completed by the caregiver to assess the functioning of children and youth across emotional and behavioural domains. The Total Difficulties Score is a combination of the youth’s scores on Emotional Difficulty, Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity Problems, and Peer Problems. Scores are rated as “within the normal range”, “borderline problem range”, or “clinical problem range”.

A score 15 or above means the youth is in the borderline range of difficulties. A score of 18 or above means that the youth likely requires clinical intervention. Problem levels for the younger age group are in the “normal” range” For youth 16 to 18 years, the average score is above the provincial average and approaching “borderline difficulties”. Of concern, is that 1/3 of the older youth are scoring 18 or above on the Total Difficulties scale, placing them in the clinical problem range. We will be following up on this finding.

Developmental Assets The Developmental Assets are skills and opportunities that are related to resiliency in youth. The assets are broken down into External Assets (opportunities and supports available to youth) and Internal Assets (personal strengths). Assets are assessed by the Child Welfare Worker. Elgin youth are generally comparable with provincial averages. The older age group is below the Provincial Average in possession of internal assets, which the agency may wish to focus on developing.

Conclusions Overall, Elgin’s youth are doing well across developmental areas. The results presented highlight a few areas of concern that will be further examined to ensure that the youth who may be experiencing difficulties are receiving the help they need.