{"id":31792,"date":"2024-03-07T18:37:17","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T18:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/technology-resources-list-2\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T22:11:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:11:28","slug":"technology-resources-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/technology-resources-list\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo puede el sistema de bienestar infantil ayudar a los j\u00f3venes y a las familias a acceder a la tecnolog\u00eda necesaria?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Although the need to address the digital divide<\/a> has persisted for years, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted and magnified inequities<\/a> in accessing essential technology equipment and broadband. This was particularly true for children and families involved with the child welfare system, as they needed quality access to technology in order to connect with a variety of critical services, including telehealth<\/a>, and maintain family time<\/a> and family connection. Many of the strategies taken to improve technology access for children in foster care and their families during the pandemic remain applicable, providing an action plan template for today.<\/p>\n

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Ensuring all youth and families have equal access to virtual services is key to preventing child maltreatment, and promoting overall child and family well-being. Computers and internet access should be considered basic needs for youth and families involved with the child welfare system, and federal, state, and local policies and budgets should reflect that.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Technology for families<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Technology reaches into many aspects of everyday life. Parents rely on the internet to find and apply for jobs and places to live. Schools use technology to engage and communicate with families<\/a>. Research shows that when schools send text messages<\/a> to caregivers about their children\u2019s attendance and class performance, students improve their attendance and pass more classes. In addition, many family resources and services \u2014 such as childcare subsidies and other government assistance programs \u2014 are accessed online. Learning how to use technology also may be especially critical for families with older caregivers, such as grandparents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Technology for youth in foster care<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Longitudinal studies of youth in foster care in three California counties who received computers demonstrated improvements in academic performance, social connectedness, and life satisfaction<\/a>. Yet research indicates that most youth in foster care do not have consistent access to technology. iFoster found that only about 5% of youth in foster care in rural settings and 21% of youth in foster care in urban settings<\/a> have regular access to a computer. iFoster notes that access to computers and software is consistently the most commonly requested resource in surveys of its nationwide community of foster care agencies, caregivers, and youth in foster care.<\/p>\n

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Youth in foster care and alumni of foster care already face challenges in completing their education<\/a>, and the lack of technology access intensifies these challenges. Further, given the important role technology and social media play<\/a> in the lives of young people, youth in foster care who lack access to technology often are excluded from opportunities to connect with their family and peers via online platforms.<\/p>\n

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The purchase of cell phones (for children, parents, and foster parents) is an allowable expense<\/a> under Title IV-B and the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood if access to a cell phone helps facilitate participation in program services and case management. However, it does not include support for the purchase of laptop computers.<\/p>\n

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As is the case for all young people, technology use by youth in foster care comes with risks, including the potential for psychological harm and interactions with unsafe people. Children and youth in foster care may have unique needs<\/a> in this area, and foster parents have requested more support<\/a> in keeping youth safe while online. Access to technology for youth in foster care should come with education and training and, if needed, restrictions to potentially harmful content. In addition, special attention should be paid to kinship caregivers, particularly older adults who may need assistance in understanding and ultimately mitigating the risks of open access to technology.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Quantifying the impact<\/h3>\n

The digital divide reflects lower rates of technology access for\u00a0people living in rural areas<\/a>, people with low incomes, and\u00a0Black and Latinx people<\/a>. According to\u00a0Pew Research Center<\/a>, as of February 2021, 43% of people whose household income is $30,000 or less report not having access to broadband at home, compared to 8% of people whose household income is $75,000 or more. Although most major internet providers offer cost breaks to subscribers with low incomes,\u00a0customers may be unaware of the discounts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It is estimated that\u00a0nearly 17 million K-12 students do not have internet access at home<\/a>. This affects students\u2019 ability to complete homework: a 2018 survey found that\u00a017% of youth reported challenges completing their homework because they lacked internet access<\/a>. This digital \u2018homework gap\u2019 is especially pronounced among Black students and students from lower-income households. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance argues that nationwide efforts to expand broadband availability tend to focus on rural communities, thereby\u00a0often excluding Blacks<\/a>\u00a0and urban communities of color.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Local strategies<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Examples of action taken to ensure youth and families have access to technology:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Arizona Department of Child Safety, Fostering Achievement through Computer Technology<\/em><\/a> (2018)<\/p>\n