Interim Impacts of the POWER Through Choices Program

This report presents interim findings from a large-scale demonstration project and evaluation of the POWER Through Choices (PTC) program, a comprehensive sexual health education curriculum designed specifically for youth in foster care and other out-of-home care settings. The program features ten 90-minute sessions delivered to small groups of youth by trained facilitators in a classroom-based setting. This curriculum-based structure is similar to many teen pregnancy prevention programs delivered to general youth populations in schools and community settings. The PTC program is unique, however, in addressing the needs and risk factors specific to youth in foster care and other out-of-home care settings. Findings from an implementation study of the PTC program were presented in an earlier report (Meckstroth et al. 2014). The present report adds to these findings by describing the short-term impacts of the PTC program on youth knowledge, attitudes, and intentions. A future report will examine the program’s longer-term impacts on youth sexual risk behaviors.