Using the bridges transition framework for youth in foster care: Measurement development and preliminary outcomes

Youth in foster care often undergo multiple transitions before reaching adulthood, and these transitions often create significant stress and can exacerbate emotional and behavioral problems. A measurement instrument (the Youth Experience of Transitions, or YET) was designed to assess foster care youths' understanding of transitions, and this instrument was tested on a group of youth undergoing an intervention program designed to assist them in coping with the stress of these transitions while in foster care. The intervention was based on the Transitions Framework by William Bridges and was implemented in multiple community agencies with funding from the Andrus Family Fund. Using factor analysis, we found that the YET contained two factors representing (1) openness and (2) determination. For youth in the participating foster care programs, growth in openness from baseline to 6 months was linked to a significant decrease in internalizing symptoms; no significant links were found for externalizing symptoms. Implications for foster care intervention programs are discussed.

► Foster care transitions can create significant stress for youth in care.
► We developed a measurement instrument to assess foster care youths' understanding of transitions.
► The instrument was tested in the context of an intervention that helps youth to cope with transitions.
► Factor analysis suggested that the instrument contained two factors: (1) openness and (2) determination.
► Growth in openness from baseline to 6 months predicted a significant decrease in internalizing symptoms.