Mediating effects of youth-serving programs on adjustment in youth with temporarily-absent parents

The purpose of this study is to examine how youth-serving programs support youth during the temporary absence of a parent. For this study, temporarily-absent parents have been identified as those who are absent from the home due to work, separation or divorce, incarceration, and more. There have been many negative outcomes associated with youth adjustment in the absence of a parent, particularly with socio-emotional development and academics. While youth-serving programs have been historically known for promoting positive youth adjustment, research lacks the specifics as to how youth-serving programs support positive youth adjustment when filling the void of a temporarily-absent parent. One-hundred-five students from the University of Missouri were recruited to participate in this study, and nine qualified to complete the author-created survey. Largely, findings suggest that youth have a positive experience when attending youth-serving programs, during the temporary absence of their parent. While some participants indicated feelings of sadness and loneliness, many participants suggest that involvement in youth-serving programs has a positive influence on social engagement, such as development of friendships and sense of belonging. While program participation positively affected social engagement, perceived influence on academic outcomes varied. Implications of the findings are discussed. Specifically, methods for how youth and families can be better supported during the temporary absence of a parent/caregiver will be suggested.Includes bibliographical references