The Experts below are selected from a list of 41949 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform

Cassandria Dortch - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Katie D Schenk - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • community interventions providing care and support to orphans and vulnerable children a review of evaluation evidence
    Aids Care-psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of Aids\ hiv, 2009
    Co-Authors: Katie D Schenk
    Abstract:

    Children affected by HIV in their families and communities face multiple risks to their health, education and psychosocial wellbeing. Community interventions for children who have been orphaned or rendered vulnerable take many forms, including Educational Assistance, home-based care, legal protection and psychosocial support. Despite a recent influx of funding for programme implementation, there exists little evidence to inform policymakers about whether their investments are improving the lives of vulnerable children and meeting key benchmarks including the Millennium Development Goals. This paper reviews the current evidence base on evaluations of community interventions for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in high HIV-prevalence African settings, focusing on studies' methodologies. Sources reviewed include published research studies and evidence from the unpublished programmatic "grey literature" located through database and internet searches. A total of 21 studies, varying in scope and generalisability, were identified. Interventions reviewed address children's wellbeing through various strategies within their communities. Evaluation methodologies reflect quantitative and qualitative approaches, including surveys (with and without baseline or comparison data), costing studies, focus groups, interviews, case studies, and participatory review techniques. Varied study methodologies reflect diverse research questions, various intervention types, and the challenges associated with evaluating complex interventions; highlighting the need to broaden the research paradigm in order to build the evidence base by including quasi-experimental and process evaluation approaches, and seeking further insights through participatory qualitative methodologies and costing studies. Although findings overall indicate the value of community interventions in effecting measurable improvements in child and family wellbeing, the quality and rigour of evidence is varied. A strategic research agenda is urgently needed to inform resource allocation and programme management decisions. Immediate imperatives include building local technical capacity to conduct quantitative and qualitative evaluation research, and strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems to collect process and outcome data (including costing) on key support models. Donors and implementers must support the collection of sound empirical evidence to inform the development and scale-up of OVC programmes.

  • community interventions providing care and support to orphans and vulnerable children a review of evaluation evidence
    Aids Care-psychological and Socio-medical Aspects of Aids\ hiv, 2009
    Co-Authors: Katie D Schenk
    Abstract:

    Abstract Children affected by HIV in their families and communities face multiple risks to their health, education and psychosocial wellbeing. Community interventions for children who have been orphaned or rendered vulnerable take many forms, including Educational Assistance, home-based care, legal protection and psychosocial support. Despite a recent influx of funding for programme implementation, there exists little evidence to inform policymakers about whether their investments are improving the lives of vulnerable children and meeting key benchmarks including the Millennium Development Goals. This paper reviews the current evidence base on evaluations of community interventions for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in high HIV-prevalence African settings, focusing on studies’ methodologies. Sources reviewed include published research studies and evidence from the unpublished programmatic “grey literature” located through database and internet searches. A total of 21 studies, varying in scope and g...

Michele Benedetto Neitz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • the key to successful independence state funded post secondary Educational Assistance for emancipated foster youth
    Social Science Research Network, 2009
    Co-Authors: Michele Benedetto Neitz
    Abstract:

    The troubled status of youth leaving foster care in America is well documented. Despite the state’s responsibility to prepare foster youth for adulthood, statistics suggest that many emancipated youth are not able to be self-sufficient in the "real world." This article explores the relationship between higher education and independence, as well as the barriers facing foster youth who wish to attend post-secondary academic or vocational training programs. Central to this inquiry is an examination of state funding of such programs for youth after they emancipate from foster care, with a comparison to court-ordered funding for children of divorce. The article proposes state implementation of Former Foster Youth Educational Assistance Programs designed to provide grants and tuition waivers to public colleges, universities, and vocational training programs for former foster youth.

James Coley - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • service members in school military veterans experiences using the post 9 11 gi bill and pursuing postsecondary education
    2010
    Co-Authors: Jennifer L Steele, Nicholas Salcedo, James Coley
    Abstract:

    Abstract : When the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act--better known as the Post-9/11 GI (Government Issue) Bill--was signed into law on June 20, 2008, it represented the largest expansion of veterans' education benefits since passage of the original GI Bill in 1944. The new GI Bill took effect on August 1, 2009, thereby increasing the higher education benefits available to individuals who served on active duty in the U.S. armed forces after September 10, 2001. One year later, more than half a million current and former service members had applied for eligibility certification (Carter, 2010) and just over 300,000 had used the benefits to enroll in higher education (White House, 2010). Because a student's Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits depend on the state and location of the Educational institution and are paid to both institutions and students, and because the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had only a little more than a year to upgrade its claims processing systems, early implementation posed several challenges, especially with regard to delayed and erroneous payments (Maze, 2010a; McBain, 2009; Philpott, 2009). Given these challenges, many of which had been anticipated (Wilson, 2009), the American Council on Education (ACE) asked the RAND Corporation to study students' experiences using the Post-9/11 GI Bill in its first year of availability. The study set out to understand early Post-9/11 GI Bill implementation challenges from the perspective of both college students and higher education institutions and to gain insight into how higher education institutions can more effectively support returning veterans. The research was carried out between February and August of 2010 and therefore reflects participants' experiences during only the initial year of GI Bill implementation.

Eric B Weiser - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • gender differences in internet use patterns and internet application preferences a two sample comparison
    Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking, 2000
    Co-Authors: Eric B Weiser
    Abstract:

    Although the Internet frequently has been characterized as male-dominated, recent evidence indicates that the gender gap in Internet use is rapidly diminishing. If more females are using the Internet, then what specific applications do they prefer and do they differ from those of males? This article presents results from a survey assessing gender differences in specific uses of the Internet. The survey included 19 items and was made available to Internet users. For comparison, a paper-and-pencil version was administered to several hundred introductory psychology students. Numerous gender differences in preferences for specific Internet applications emerged. Results showed that males use the Internet mainly for purposes related to entertainment and leisure, whereas women use it primarily for interpersonal communication and Educational Assistance. However, additional analyses showed that several gender differences were mediated by differences in age and Internet experience. Potential implications of these r...