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Disaster Prevention and Resilience is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal, which is devoted to developing knowledge and capacity in strategic and practical aspects of reducing the impact of natural and human-instigated disasters.
Thao Thi Phuong Tran, Majid Bani-Yaghoub, James R. DeLisle
BACKGROUND: States, territories, non-profits, and tribes are eligible to obtain federal funding to implement federally endorsed evidence-based home visiting programs. This represents a massive success in translational science, with $400 million a year allocated to these implementation efforts. This legislation also requires that 3% of this annual funding be allocated to tribal entities implementing home visiting in their communities. However, implementing stakeholders face challenges with selecting which program is best for their desired outcomes and context. Moreover, recent reviews have indicated that when implemented in practice and delivered at scale, many evidence-based home visiting programs fail to replicate the retention rates and effects achieved during clinical trials. To inform program implementers and better identify the active ingredients in home visiting programs that drive significant impacts, we aimed to develop an expert derived consensus taxonomy on the elements used in home visiting practice that are essential to priority outcome domains. METHODS: We convened a panel of 16 experts representing researchers, model representatives, and program implementers using a Delphi approach. We first elicited standard practice elements (SPEs) using open-ended inquiry, then compared these elements to behavior change techniques (BCTs) given their general importance in the field of home visiting; and finally rated their importance to 10 outcome domains. RESULTS: Our process identified 48 SPEs derived from the panel, with 83 additional BCTs added based on the literature. Six SPEs, mostly related to home visitor characteristics and skills, were rated essential across all outcome domains. Fifty-three of the 83 BCTs were rated unnecessary across all outcome domains. CONCLUSIONS: This work represents the first step in a consensus-grounded taxonomy of techniques and strategies necessary for home visiting programs and provides a framework for future hypothesis testing and replication studies.
Emily E. Haroz, Allison Ingalls, Karla Decker Sorby et al.
In this paper, we describe our assessment of whether Youth Villages’ Intercept program had a demonstrable impact on the likelihood a young person will be placed in out-of-home care given the young person was at risk of placement by virtue of having been the subject of an investigation for maltreatment. Intercept is an integrated approach to intensive in-home parenting skill development that offers a variety of evidence-based and best practices to meet the individualized needs of a family and young person. Intercept staff work with families with children who are at risk of entry into state custody (i.e. foster care) to prevent placement. Using a quasi-experimental design with exact matching, we found that Intercept did reduce the risk of placement into foster care following a maltreatment report. In addition, we found that the treatment effect was particularly strong during the first six months after maltreatment report was made. We also found sustained effects after treatment ended. The findings are considered alongside other evidence that speaks to the efficacy of placement prevention programs.
Scott Huhr, Fred Wulczyn
Youth homelessness is widely studied, yet little research traces developmental housing pathways across time. This study used a life-course lens to explore how youth navigate instability from childhood into emerging adulthood, and how connection, structure, and meaning-making shape recovery. By mapping temporal movement, we identify turning points that shift trajectories toward stability. Eight youth (ages 21-26) enrolled in a cash-transfer program participated in Life History Calendar interviews to reconstruct housing trajectories and contextual life events. Transcripts and calendars were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, incorporating within-case mapping and cross-case comparison. Eight interrelated themes traced developmental pathways into and out of homelessness. Early instability stemmed from caregiving rupture, institutional displacement, and accumulated adversity. Adolescence was marked by survival-based autonomy, mistrust, and systems that supported and surveilled simultaneously. In emerging adulthood, youth rebuilt connections through peers, identity-affirming community, and structured housing programs. Recovery was anchored in belonging, stability, and meaning-making rather than individual effort alone. Youth homelessness unfolds as a developmental process shaped by intersecting trauma, inequity, and adaptive coping. Findings highlight the need for policies and interventions that reduce surveillance barriers and expand identity-affirming, autonomy-supportive housing models. Developmentally grounded support may strengthen long-term stability and engagement.
Thye Peng Ngo, Sara Semborski
ABSTRACT Educational inequities are well‐documented and highly correlated with youth homelessness and educational disconnection. The aim of this paper was to document empirical associations among threats to the well‐being of young people, discuss key educational policies and programs designed to address student homelessness, and describe the US adaptation of an international school‐based prevention program, the Upstream Project, a multi‐tiered prevention program that proactively addresses youth homelessness and educational disconnection. To address these aims, we reviewed the literature on youth homelessness and educational disconnection among young people and the educational policies and programs intended to mitigate threats associated with these phenomena. This review revealed that youth homelessness and educational disconnection are critical public health and economic concerns that warrant investments in prevention and early intervention and a shift away from reactive, crisis management approaches. We present the US adaptation of the Upstream Project as one solution to this challenge. This paper posits that education and human services systems can bolster the well‐being of young people by enacting public health prevention approaches. School personnel are uniquely positioned to assess and intervene further “upstream” to prevent and address the consequences of homelessness and educational disconnection.
Melissa A. Kull, Anne F. Farrell, Forrest Moore et al.
Background U.S. policies on transgender military service have changed five times over nine years, amid litigation and public debate, affecting service members diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria or who have received gender-affirming care. Opposition has centered on concerns regarding healthcare costs, unit cohesion, and service member character. This scoping review synthesizes the existing literature to characterize the evidence on transgender service in the U.S. military and inform policy discussions.Method A systematic search of ten academic databases and six grey literature sources conducted between May and June 2025 identified 1713 records. Fifty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, with attention to study characteristics and outcome domains.Results Most studies were quantitative and conducted during periods of open transgender service. First authors were primarily affiliated with civilian universities in disciplines including political science, law, and policy. Common outcome domains included transition-related healthcare access and utilization, mental and physical health, and perceptions of transgender personnel by others. Transgender service members were estimated to comprise ∼0.7% of the force, are predominantly younger, junior enlisted, and more often trans women. Findings indicate fewer transgender members than estimated, minimal impact on deployment readiness, and no evidence of harm to unit cohesion. Supportive leadership and affirming environments were consistently associated with improved mental health outcomes.Discussion This scoping review found that evidence on transgender service is inconsistent with claims that these members compromise unit cohesion, impose disproportionate costs, or that access to gender-affirming care significantly affects readiness. These findings provide an empirically grounded basis for ongoing policy deliberations.
Kathleen A. McNamara, Sara Semborski, Susie Skarl et al.
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to develop consensus on a comprehensive and abridged list of recommendations for conducting antiracist research across all stages of a pediatric research project. Antiracist research aims to ensure that the construct of race is correctly interpreted and that racially and ethnically minoritized communities are fairly engaged throughout a research project. METHODS Using a modified Delphi approach, experts in equitable pediatric research methods completed 3 rounds of surveys and virtual focus groups between April and December 2023. Round 1 asked experts to add to or revise themes and subthemes gathered from a systematic review of published antiracist practices. Round 2 included ranking items’ importance; items voted in the top 50% by 60% of experts were included in an abridged list of essential practices. In Round 3, experts reviewed the final guidance and had the option to rescue items for inclusion in the abridged guidance. RESULTS Fourteen experts with diverse personal and professional backgrounds participated. Experts added new themes and edited existing ones, creating a comprehensive list of 68 recommendations by consensus and identifying 36 to include in the abridged list of essential practices. They also discussed complex topics such as who these recommendations apply to, the nuances of equitable community engagement, and the dangers of health equity tourism. CONCLUSIONS An expert panel achieved consensus on a comprehensive and abridged list of recommendations for how to conduct research in an antiracist, equitable way. These can inform research teams, regulatory agencies, and funders to improve pediatric research.
Kate E. Wallis, Sarah N. Wozniak-Kelly, Andrea Freeman Duncan et al.
Abstract Purpose Home visitation programs screen for and respond to mothers’ experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and economic stressors. However, practices and research focused on IPV for mothers enrolled in home visitation programs rarely include experiences of economic abuse, which is a type of IPV. This study explored dynamics of economic abuse for mothers in home visitation programs to further conceptual developments regarding types of economic abuse and to guide improvements for practices with mothers of young children who are experiencing IPV. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a racially diverse sample of 33 mothers enrolled in home visitation programs in rural and urban areas across a Midwestern state. All mothers indicated experiencing economic abuse as part of a previous study phase. Thematic analysis was conducted with open and focused coding to identify dynamics of economic abuse. Results Mothers detailed abuse tactics indicating dynamics of economic restriction, especially employment sabotage connected to the denial of childcare, and economic exploitation. These forms of economic abuse were heightened for mothers who moved to new locations with their partners. We also conceptualized a dynamic of economic burden, which facilitates and connects to other forms of economic abuse for a subsample of mothers. Conclusions Mothers experienced forms of economic restriction and economic exploitation, as well as dynamics of economic burden. Based on these findings, home visiting programs can be critical connections for childcare, social connection, and economic supports for mothers experiencing IPV, especially those who have moved to new areas with their partners.
Gina L. Fedock, Carly M. Murray, Yejin Sohn et al.
This study used a qualitative research design to investigate the key components, infrastructure, processes, and facilitators involved in the implementation of Pathways Home Early Childhood, a housing support pilot program implemented within a Head Start grantee for families facing homelessness, as well as how participating parents experienced the program. We held parent interviews, a staff focus group, and stakeholder interviews with a total of 22 informants, followed by thematic analysis and a member-checking group. Findings include salient guidance for similar efforts to screen for homelessness and provide support and navigation to families. Themes included positive and negative experiences of families in obtaining housing; infrastructure needed to develop and sustain a housing program within Head Start; critical factors for successful implementation; and economic and psychological benefits for enrolled families. These findings are consistent with limited prior research on housing voucher programs for families with children and point to opportunities for program refinement and future evaluation efforts.
Melissa A. Kull, Anne F. Farrell, Monette Ferguson et al.
This study investigated how county- and state-level socioeconomic factors influence racial differences in placement stability outcomes for children in foster care. Using a sample drawn from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) covering 2012-2020, we employed linear mixed modeling (LMMs) to nest individual- and case-level data within counties and states. Our analysis focused on Black and White children, examining how variables such as poverty, unemployment, public welfare expenditures, residential mobility, and family structure affect the number of placement moves experienced by children. The findings indicated that Black children experience higher rates of placement instability compared to White children, although the gap narrows over time. Key factors associated with improved stability included county-administered child welfare systems and higher rates of multigenerational households and owner-occupied housing, particularly benefiting Black children. In contrast, higher levels of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and increased residential mobility were linked to greater instability. The implementation of program improvement plans (PIPs) during the third round of the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR-3) produced mixed outcomes, with PIPs contributing to a reduction in the racial gap primarily by increasing placement moves for White children. These findings underscore the importance of analyzing data by race and incorporating broader socioeconomic contexts into child welfare improvement strategies, while also emphasizing the need for localized, context-sensitive approaches to improve placement stability.
Leanne L. Heaton, William J. Sabol, Miranda L. Baumann et al.
