Centering youth voices: youth satisfaction and disparities in Illinois child welfare residential care

Abstract

Youth in child welfare residential care present with complex needs and strengths; systematic efforts are needed to improve their treatment. Youths’ perspectives are critical to these efforts. This study explores data from Likert-scale satisfaction surveys of youth receiving residential care in the Illinois child welfare system. Surveys assessed 549 youth ages ≥ 12 years about their satisfaction with residential care. Survey responses were found to have a 4-factor structure corresponding to domains of: 1) residential care and program characteristics, 2) experiences with caseworkers, 3) relational and logistical supports, and 4) involvement and engagement with the youth advisory board. Youth reported significantly lower satisfaction regarding their awareness of and participation in the youth advisory board relative to their satisfaction with the other 3 domains of care. Black and biracial youth were also found to have lower levels of satisfaction relative to their white peers across several treatment domains, including care/program characteristics and experiences with caseworkers, with biracial youth also having lower levels of satisfaction with relational and logistical supports. This study illustrates the need to further explore youths,’ particularly minoritized youths,’ experiences in residential care and continually involve them in quality improvement efforts.