THRIVE Evaluation

Projects

THRIVE Evaluation

THRIVE Evaluation
THRIVE Evaluation Project Overview

The Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing (TXICFW) is partnering with implementation and evaluation teams in Illinois, Kansas, and Colorado to conduct an efficacy study of THRIVE, a promising sexual health intervention for youth in foster care and child welfare professionals. The 5-year study is funded through a Tier 2 Rigorous Evaluation Cooperative Agreement from the HHS Office of Population Affairs.

VISIT THE THRIVE WEBSITE

Project Background

The Texas Foster Youth Health Initiative, which brought together experts, caregivers, service providers, and youth with lived experience, designed THRIVE.

The program aims to reduce unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection/HIV rates among youth in foster care by increasing:

  1. Consistent use of condoms and contraceptives.
  2. Access to sexual and reproductive health resources and services.
  3. Healthy relationship and consent behaviors.
  4. The capacity of child welfare professionals to promote sexual health through ongoing conversations and provision of resources.

THRIVE consists of a 4-hour training for child welfare professionals and a 10-hour interactive curriculum for youth ages 13 to 19 delivered in congregate care settings.

Three organizations with expertise in child welfare and sexual health (Planned Parenthood of Illinois, KVC Behavioral Health Services Kansas, and the Colorado Sexual Health Initiative) will implement THRIVE in congregate care settings in their respective states. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, along with teams at the University of Kansas and the University of Colorado Boulder, serve as the independent evaluators.