This presentation will outline the evolution and evaluation of the Bookworm Club, an Ontario- based, provincial literacy program for children living in out-of-home care (modeled on the UK- based Letterbox Club) in grades one to eight. Participants in the program receive packages containing developmentally appropriate books and related materials, mailed personally to children in their out-of-home placement once a month for six months. We will provide: 1) an overview of the program evolution and growth; 2) findings from the 2012 pilot program evaluation that involved 131 children and their caregivers and, 3) findings from the 2013 program which grew to include 532 children and their caregivers. A mixed-methods research design was used in both evaluations involving a quantitative (pre and post-test) and a qualitative component (telephone interviews with caregivers and letters written from participating children). The following areas were explored via questionnaires both before and after participation: child`s self-esteem, child`s motivation for reading, child-caregiver relationship (according to the child), child-caregiver relationship (according to the caregiver), caregiver expectations of the child, and the placement literacy environment. Key findings relate to the process of growing the Bookworm Club within the province of Ontario, and the findings of the 2012 and 2013 program evaluations which highlight the impact of the program on participating children and their caregivers along with key areas for enhancing the program. For example, the 2012 program pilot evaluation indicated that children's motivation for reading significantly increased during the six months of participation in the Bookworm Club. This case example from one child welfare community (Ontario, Canada) demonstrates how an evidence-informed practice initiative has been evaluated and grown to full-scale provincial implementation. The continued evaluation of the program and the unique method of obtaining feedback from participating children as part of the evaluation stand out as distinctive features and have implications for the field of child welfare internationally. This presentation will outline the relevance of this literacy program and evaluation process to the child welfare community internationally.

1. THE BOOKWORM CLUB
Eavan Brady
Trisha Hendsbee
Angus Francis
Michael Justinich

2. THE BOOKWORM!

3. ONTARIO, CANADA

4. Where the
Bookworm lives!
HIGHLAND SHORES CHILDREN’S AID, BELLEVILLE, ONTARIO

5. WHAT IS THE BOOKWORM CLUB?
Literacy program for children living in out-of-home care
Packages mailed personally to the children once a
month for 6 months of the year (July-December)
Packages contain developmentally appropriate books,
games, and other materials
Closely modelled on the UK-based Letterbox Club

6. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE BOOKWORM CLUB?
To improve literacy, motivation for
reading, and educational outcomes for
children in out-of-home care.

7. EVOLUTION OF THE BOOKWORM CLUB
2011: Improving Educational Outcomes for Children in
Care Learning Event
 Rose Griffiths “The Letterbox Club” (Thank you, Rose!)
2012: Year 1 Pilot
 12 Children’s Aids Societies in Ontario
 131 Children and Foster Caregivers (ages 6-13,
English/French)
 Staffed by volunteers

8. EVOLUTION OF THE BOOKWORM CLUB (CONT.)
2013: Year 2
 22 Children’s Aid Societies in Ontario
 532 Children and Caregivers (reading levels 1-8, English/French)
 Hiring of part-time coordinator to manage the program
2014: Year 3
 Sustainable program, no longer a pilot project
 20 Children’s Aid Societies in Ontario
 1,147 children and caregivers
 Introduction of e-Reader (KOBO) project
 Expansion to high school students

9. 131
532
1,147
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
2012 2013 2014
NUMBER OF CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN THE
BOOKWORM CLUB: 2012-2014

10. EVALUATION OF THE BOOKWORM CLUB
Year 1 (2012) & Year 2 (2013)
Mixed-methods design
Quantitative:
 Pre- and post- questionnaires completed by child & foster caregiver
Qualitative:
 Telephone interviews with foster caregivers
 Letters from children to the ‘Bookworm’

11. QUANTITATIVE DATA: KEY VARIABLES MEASURED
1) Child self-esteem
2) Child motivation for reading
3) Child-caregiver relationship (according to child)
4) Child-caregiver relationship (according to foster
caregiver)
5) Literacy environment
6) Foster parent educational expectations of child

12. 2012 EVALUATION
 Quantitative
 n = 87 children, n = 87 foster caregivers
 One of six key variables significantly increased: Child’s motivation for reading
 Qualitative: Foster Caregiver Interviews (n = 9)
 Impact on the child: A sense of belonging & sharing
 Transfer of learning and developmental matching.
 The key role of social workers: The importance of evaluation, managing
different experiences
 Qualitative Children’s Letters (n = 30)

13. 2013 EVALUATION: QUANTITATIVE
 467 children and foster caregivers (n=453) pre-tests
 330 children and foster caregivers (n=330) post-tests
 Grouped Data:
 Children: according to grade comparison level
 Foster caregivers: according to education level
 Findings:
 Self-esteem levels significantly decreased for children at grade level
 Child-foster caregiver relationship (according to foster caregiver) significantly
decreased for high school or less and some college/some university

14. QUALITATIVE: FOSTER CAREGIVER INTERVIEWS (N = 6)
Key themes:
1) Impact on Child’s Reading
2) Child’s Experience of the Bookworm Club
3) Involvement of Foster Family in Supporting Program
Experience
4) Suitability of Books & Materials

15. QUALITATIVE: CHILDREN’S LETTERS TO THE BOOKWORM (N=140)

16. IMPLICATIONS OF FINDINGS & LESSONS LEARNED
 Without a control group we cannot infer causality
 We need to review our goal and outcome measures!
 Program development and evaluation: Involve foster caregivers and practitioners
 Use qualitative results from the 2012 and 2013 evaluations to guide future evaluation
 Researchers and practitioners: Promote culture of collaboration and understanding
 Support for foster caregivers
 Ensure children who are signed up are suited to program: Reading ability
matches books, unless foster caregiver will work and support child through it,
ensure reading level not too far below actual age

17. POTENTIAL AREAS FOR FUTURE PROGRAM &
EVALUATION DEVELOPMENT
 Children’s love of reading
 Children’s excitement to receive mail addressed to them
 Concept of building their own “library”
 Bookworm Club notations in agency planning documents and other
educational reviews
 Repeat registrants in the Bookworm Club
 Sharing of books with siblings/other foster children
 A sense of being part of a club/larger group
 Reading behaviours
 Explore association between foster caregiver-child relationship and
reading among younger children
 Exploring confidence and self esteem related to developmental assets

18. FINAL THOUGHTS:
Research can be fun!
What you expect to find is not always what you
find.
Research is always evolutionary.

19. Eavan Brady ebrady@partcanada.org
Trisha Hendsbee Trisha.Hendsbee@durhamcas.ca
Angus Francis angus.francis@highlandshorescas.com
Michael Justinich michael.justinich@casott.on.ca
www.thebookwormclub.ca
Questions!