Julia Kobulsky, Postdoctoral Fellow at SSW along with Jamie Cage of Virginia Commonwealth University and Gabriella Celeste of the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve have a new paper published in Children and Youth Services Review that explores the use of volunteers by public child welfare agencies.
Using data from interviews with public child welfare agency directors and other staff in one state, the authors conducted qualitative analysis to describe how volunteers were used and how this use may impact agency and child outcomes. All types of volunteer programs were perceived to enhance community engagement and expand agency resources and supports. In addition, in agencies that used volunteer programs in roles with direct youth contact (for example, as mentors), respondents perceived volunteer use to advance positive youth development.
More details can be found at: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740917310629.