Low-Intensity, Home-Based Learning Interventions for 11-17-Year-Olds in Family Foster Care: A Scoping Review

This is a scoping review of low-intensity, home-based interventions promoting learning for 11-17-year-olds in foster care. Research shows that children in out-of-home care fall behind in school compared to their peers. Interventions to improve learning outcomes for these children typically i) target young children or children aging out of care, and ii) require many resources to implement. Low-intensity, home-based interventions for foster children have shown promise.

We used scoping review methodology to comb through the research literature in four languages across 15 databases.

From the resulting 1355 studies, we identified nine studies comprising seven interventions meeting our inclusion criteria, which we categorized into three groups: interventions with tutors as delivery agents (n = 3), interventions with foster carers as delivery agents (n = 3), and interventions based on distributed materials (without delivery agents) (n = 1). We describe the interventions in each category, their key similarities and their outcomes.

Interventions vary in delivery agents and session structure, with tutor-led programs often aiming to improve math and reading skills. While such interventions may have limited efficacy compared to high-intensity alternatives, they offer advantages in feasibility, reach and sustainability, potentially yielding broader population-level impact. Geographic differences suggest contextual factors influence delivery models. Matching interventions to children with fewer support needs and ensuring fidelity is key to meaningful outcomes.

There is a need for more well-evaluated low-intensity, home-based interventions that address the unique contextual factors of out-of-home care.