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Cheryl Buehler - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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parental and familial characteristics of Family Foster care applicants
Children and Youth Services Review, 2004Co-Authors: John G Orme, Cheryl Buehler, Kathryn W Rhodes, Michael Mcsurdy, David A PattersonAbstract:Abstract Foster Family applicants form the pool from which caregivers are selected for 75% of the 568 000 children in Foster care. We know little about these applicants along dimensions thought to influence the behavioral and emotional adjustment of Foster children. This limits our understanding of how best to recruit, assess, train, and support these applicants. This study examined the psychosocial functioning of 161 Family Foster care applicants in terms of parenting, Family functioning, marital quality, psychological problems, and social support. It also examined demographic characteristics. The majority of men and women had one or more problems in psychosocial functioning, but most only had one or two problems. However, approximately 17% of women and 24% of men had three or more problems. Considerable diversity existed in demographic characteristics. Implications of these results for the recruitment, assessment, training, and support of Foster Family applicants are discussed.
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Foster Family resources psychosocial functioning and retention
Social Work Research, 2003Co-Authors: Kathryn W Rhodes, John G Orme, Cheryl BuehlerAbstract:The chronic shortage of Foster families is exacerbated by the fact that many families discontinue during the first year. This longitudinal study examined the effect of Family resources and psychosocial problems on retention. Almost 50 percent of families who started preservice training did not complete it. Of the 131 families who completed training, 46 percent had already discontinued or planned to discontinue at six-months. Families with more resources, especially income, were more likely to continue. African American and single-parent families were less likely to continue, but not when controlling for income. Families with more psychosocial problems and fewer resources were more likely to express uncertainly about continuing. These results have important implications for recruitment and retention of Foster families. Key words: drop out; Foster care; Foster families; Foster parents; retention ********** Three-fourths of the 568,000 children in Foster Care live with Foster families (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], 2001). Even with the rise in the use of kinship homes, agencies place approximately two-thirds of children in nonkinship families (DHHS, 2001). However, national data based on reports from 38 states indicate that there were only 133,500 licensed nonkinship Foster families (Child Welfare League of America [CWLA], 1998). Up to 40 percent of Foster families discontinue Fostering during the first year (Baring-Gould, Essick, Kleinkauf, & Miller, 1983; Casey Family Programs, 2000; Chamberlain, Moreland, & Reid, 1992; Pasztor & Wynne, 1995; Ryan, 1985; U.S. General Accounting Office [GAO], 1989), and another 20 percent plan to do so (Rhodes, Orme, & Buehler, 2001). Consequently, there is a chronic shortage of Foster families. Parenting competence in general and Foster parenting ability in particular result from the cumulative effects of social and economic resources and parental and familial psychosocial functioning (Sameroff, Bartko, Baldwin, Baldwin, & Seifer, 1998; Seaberg & Harrigan, 1997, 1999). The number of Family resources has been associated positively with willingness to provide placements for children with special needs and with measures of Foster home utilization (Cox, Orme, & Rhodes, in press). However, little research exists concerning the effects of such resources or psychosocial functioning on families' decisions to Foster. In addition, there is little research on what influences individuals to become Foster parents (Baum, Crase, & Crase, 2001; Cox, Buehler, & Orme, 2002), and no earlier research on why some families discontinue Fostering during the first year, despite documentation of high dropout rates during this time. RETENTION RESEARCH Only a small percentage of agency-recruited families ultimately become Foster parents (Friedman, Lardieri, Murphy, Quick, & Wolfe, 1980; Rodwell & Biggerstaff, 1995; Siegel & Roberts, 1989). Many families discontinue after their first few contacts with agencies (Friedman et al., 1980) or self-select out during preservice training (Pasztor, 1985). Other families complete training then decide not to pursue Fostering. Agencies eliminate some applicants because of age, poor health, criminal background, or other reasons. Yet, the percentage of rejected families is small compared with those who discontinue voluntarily before approval (Kadushin & Martin, 1988). Dropout before approval might screen out unsuitable applicants (Smith & Gutheil, 1988), but this has never been examined empirically. What we know about why families discontinue Fostering has come from a few cross-sectional studies. Some studies have found that Foster parents were more likely to discontinue if they were dissatisfied with agency relationships or had poor communication with workers (Bating-Gould et al., 1983; Rhodes et al., 2001; Triseliotis, Borland, & Hill, 1998) or if they had concerns about children's behavior, children returning to undesirable circumstances, agency red tape, low reimbursement rates, or the Fostering role (Denby & Rindfleisch, 1996; Rhodes et al. …
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recruitment and Foster Family service
Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 2002Co-Authors: Cheryl Buehler, John G OrmeAbstract:Using data from the National Survey of Current and Former Foster Parents this study examined how Foster parents first found out about the need for Foster parents (mass media, other Foster parents, religious organization, or civic organization) affected Foster Family service (number of children Fostered, years of Fostering service, Fostering of children with special needs, and families' intent to continue Fostering). Respondents who became aware of the need for Foster parents through religious organizations Fostered for more years; respondents who became aware through mass media Fostered for fewer years. How Foster families first found out about the need for Foster parents did not differentially affect other Foster Family service measures. Implications for Foster parent recruitment and future research are discussed. ********** Three-fourths of the 568,000 children in Foster care live with Foster families (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], 2001). Even with the rise in the use of kinship families, agencies place approximately two-thirds of children in non-kinship families (DHHS, 2001). However, there is a chronic shortage of Foster families (DHHS, 1993). This is due in large part to the fact that many certified families quit Fostering within the first year of service (Baring-Gould, Essick, Kleinkauf, & Miller, 1983; Casey Family Programs, 2000; Chamberlain, Moreland, & Reid, 1992; Pasztor & Wynne, 1995; Ryan, 1985; U.S. General Accounting Office [GAO], 1989), and many families who continue are not willing to Foster children with special needs (DHHS, 1993). Considerable practice wisdom exists concerning how to recruit Foster families (Barbell & Sheikh, 2000; Casey Family Programs, 2000; Pasztor & Wynne, 1995). However, very little research exists concerning recruitment in general, and there is even less regarding how to recruit families willing to Foster for a number of years and willing to Foster children with special needs. This paucity of research makes it difficult for agencies to know how to recruit Foster families effectively, and this is especially problematic because recruitment is time-consuming and expensive (Barbell & Sheikh, 2000; Craig & McNally, 1982; Rodwell & Biggerstaff, 1993). To help agencies shape recruitment efforts we examine the relationships between how Foster parents first became aware of the need for Foster families (awareness source) and the type and length of service provided by these families. "Type of service" refers to the number of children Fostered and the number of types of special-needs children Fostered. "Length of service" refers to years of Fostering and the intention to continue Fostering. The effects of awareness source on the type and length of service for subgroups of Foster parents are examined to better target recruitment efforts. Specifically, we examine whether the effects of awareness source are different for those who: are European- and African-American; live in rural and non-rural areas; have different motivations to Foster; do and do not have previous exposure to Fostering; and do and do not have previous exposure to persons with specials needs. Previous Research on Awareness Source Recruitment campaigns have two goals: (a) to raise public awareness about Fostering and the need for Foster families, and (b) to recruit qualified Foster parents (DHHS, 1993; Glassberg, 1965; Meltsner, 1984; GAO, 1989). To accomplish these goals agencies primarily use four venues to publicize information about Foster care and the need for Family Foster homes: (a) mass media (newspapers, television, radio, billboards, printed material), (b) personal contacts with Foster parents, (c) churches, and (d) community or civic organizations. It is important to note that researchers have not always distinguished awareness source from other factors that had a determining influence on the decision to Foster. …
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Foster Family characteristics and behavioral and emotional problems of Foster children a narrative review
Family Relations, 2001Co-Authors: John G Orme, Cheryl BuehlerAbstract:Foster Family Characteristics and Behavioral and Emotional Problems of Foster Children: A Narrative Review* The purpose of this article is to review the literature on the Foster Family characteristics that are thought to contribute to the behavioral and emotional problems of Foster children. The review is shaped by an understanding of the personal and familial factors associated with children's problem behaviors in the general population. These factors include parenting, the Family home environment, Family functioning, marital functioning, Family demography, child temperament, parents' mental health, and social support. Limitations within the existing research on these Foster Family characteristics are noted, and suggestions for future research are provided. Despite trends away from out-of-home placement (Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, 1997; Pecora, Whittaker, Maluccio, Barth, & Plotnick, 1992), the number of children removed from their homes and placed in Foster care is large and increasing. In 1982 there were 262,000 children in care. In 1996 507,000 children were in Foster care, and 725,000 children were served by the Foster care system at some time during that year (Tatara, 1998). Many children in Foster care have significant behavioral and emotional problems (e.g., Heflinger, Simpkins, & Combs-Orme, 2000; Pilowsky, 1995), and many of them are at risk for developing additional problems because of a history of child abuse and neglect, Family poverty, or parental mental health problems (e.g., Blumberg, Landsverk, Ellis-MacLeod, Ganger, & Culver, 1996; Courtney, Piliavin, & Wright, 1997; Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, 1997; Horwitz, Simms, Farrington, 1994; Rosenfeld et al., 1997; Schmidt-Tieszen & McDonald, 1998; Stein, Rae-Grant, Ackland, & Avison, 1994; Takayama, Wolfe, & Coulter, 1998). In addition to familial risk factors for behavioral and emotional problems, Foster placement itself may be a risk factor for such problems (e.g., adjustment to a new Family, placement disruptions). However, the link between Foster care placement and child problem behaviors is not well established, and the causal direction of this relationship is unclear (Fanshel, Finch, & Grundy, 1990; Fanshel & Shinn, 1978; Pardeck, 1984; J. Rowe, Cain, Hundleby, & Keane, 1984). Foster Families In 1996, approximately three fourths of the children in Foster care were placed with Foster families (Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, 1997, Table 08-C), the remainder being in other types of care, such as residential or group homes. On a day-to-day basis, Foster families are the front-line service providers for these children and form the foundation of substitute care services in the United States. As Fanshel and Shinn (1978) observed, "We can think of no greater influence on the well-being of Foster children while they are in care than those who directly minister to their needs" (p. 496). Foster Family services are increasingly crucial because federal and state resources for child welfare services have not kept pace with the critical needs of Foster children. Hiring freezes, low pay, and difficult working conditions have led to caseworker shortages, less experienced and educated caseworkers, high caseloads, and high burnout and turnover rates among caseworkers (Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, 1997; Department of Health and Human Services, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, 1995; General Accounting Office, 1995). Also, a large proportion of Foster children with behavioral and emotional problems who are referred for mental health services to treat urgent needs do not receive such services (Blumberg et al., 1996; Risley-Curtiss, Combs-Orme, Chernoff, & Heisler, 1996). This proportion of children with behavioral and emotional problems might increase in the near future because of recent efforts to move children quickly through the Foster care system. …
Jill Duerr Berrick - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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when children cannot remain home Foster Family care and kinship care
The Future of Children, 1998Co-Authors: Jill Duerr BerrickAbstract:Despite the best efforts of child welfare agencies, community agencies, and individuals, some children are not safe in their homes and must be placed in substitute care settings by child welfare authorities. Increasingly, as this article points out, child welfare agencies are placing children in the homes of their relatives rather than in traditional Foster Family homes (31% of all children in out-of-home care in the early 1990s were living with kin). This article discusses how such factors as the availability of Foster homes, the demand for Foster care, attitudes toward the extended families of troubled parents, and policies regarding payment for the costs of care have contributed to the rapid growth in kinship Foster care. It discusses differences in the personal characteristics of kin and traditional Foster parents and in the supports provided to the caregivers by child welfare agencies. Research findings suggest that kinship homes can promote the child welfare goals of protecting children and supporting families, but they are less likely to facilitate the prompt achievement of legal permanence for children. To forge a coherent policy toward kinship caregivers, officials must balance the natural strengths of informal, private exchanges among Family members with the power of government agencies to provide both resources and oversight.
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assessing quality of care in kinship and Foster Family care
Family Relations, 1997Co-Authors: Jill Duerr BerrickAbstract:Assessing Quality of Care in Kinship and Foster Family Care* Jill Duerr Berrick** This study includes a sample of 29 kin and 33 non—kin Foster parents who participated in an in-home interview to assess quality of care On a number of measures relating to the home environment, non—kin homes were rated as more safe Family relations between children and their caregivers were similar for kin and non-kin Trends in the data point to the need for further research: changes in policy and practice that might strengthen the resources currently available to dependent Ll’llldI'€I’l are also suggested from practitioners, policy makers, and researchers. Our at- tention has been captivated by the large numbers of children now being served in Foster care by kin and the paucity of infor- mation available about this rapidly growing arrangement for care. A recent study found that among all states reporting the use of kin as Foster care providers, over 31% of children were placed with relatives (Kusserow, 1992). In California, the growth in kinship placements has rapidly accelerated. Kinship care is now the predominant placement setting for children, recently surpass- ing Foster Family care. Statewide, kinship Foster care accounted for approximately 46% of the caseload in 1994. In Santa Clara County, the site of this study, kinship Foster care was utilized in 41% of the cases. I 11 recent years, kinship care has gained increasing attention The development of kinship care as a Foster care resource has been stimulated by legal, demographic, and value-based changes. First was the Miller v Youakim Supreme Court (1979) case which determined that kin could not be excluded from the definition of Foster parents and that under some conditions, kin might be eligible for federal IV—E Foster care benefits. Second, the burgeoning Foster care census and changing economic cir- cumstances have left far fewer unrelated Foster parents at home to care for children and have contributed to greater inclusion of kin as Foster caregivers (Kaye & Cook, 1992; National Commission on Family Foster Care, 1991; National Foster Parent Association, 1991). Third, kinship care’s development has been spurred on by a refocusing of values and priorities regarding the role of fami- ly—broadly defined—in the lives of children Kinship Foster care has developed at a time when calls for Family preservation have grown increasingly urgent (National Commission on Children, 1993). Many child welfare experts believe that children will be better served if their care is provided by Family members within the community of origin, rather than by strangers (Chipungu, 1991; Takas, 1992). Review of the Literature Research in the area of kinship care has not kept pace with its development as a placement alternative. Similarly, research on the characteristics of conventional Foster care has been sparse (see Berrick, Barth, & Needell, 1994; Kaye & Cook, 1992; Lind- holm & Touliatos, 1978). Until recently, few studies were avail- able that focused on the characteristics of kin providers or on the kin children in care. Neither were studies available which ad- dressed the services provided to kin through the child welfare system, or about the kin providers’ views of their roles within this system. Researchers are now embracing this issue (see Berrick & Barth, 1994; Wilson & Chipungu, 1996). Characteristics ofFoster parents and kinship caregivers. Thornton (1987) describes kin caregivers as older than Foster Family parents, and a group heavily represented by single women of color who are struggling themselves with liiriited incomes 1997, Vol 46, N0. 3 One study found maternal Foster grandmothers reporting high levels of poor health and depression (Kelley, 1992). These grand- mothers also expressed concerns about their abilities to continue parenting young children into adolescence due to their own ad- vancing age. Some studies also point to the challenge these providers face as they voluntarily take on a new set of roles with little preparation or planning (Kennedy & Keeney, 1987; Le- Prohn, 1994; Thornton, 1987). While Foster Family providers generally prepare for their new role as parents, kinship Foster par- ents more often fall into older parenthood in response to a press- ing Family emergency Berrick, Barth, and Needell (1994) have corroborated these findings in their study of kinship Foster par- ents and Foster Family parents in California. Characteristics of children in Foster Family care and kinship care While the characteristics of Foster parents and kin care- givers may be somewhat different, children placed in kinship fos- ter homes share many similarities with their peers in Foster Family care. Dubowitz and associates (1994) found that children in kin- ship Foster care had higher rates of asthma, anemia, vision and dental problems, and developmental delays than American chil- dren in the general population. Children in kinship care also ex- hibited greater behavioral problems Similar studies which have examined the health problems of children in Foster Family care have, in general, found a population suffering from a wide vari- ety of health and mental health problems (Fein, Mallucio, & Kluger, 1990; Halfon & Klee, 1991) Three of the only studies to compare kinship Foster children to Foster Family children (Bene- dict, Zuravin, & Stallings, 1996, Berrick, Barth, & Needell, 1994; Iglehart, 1994) found comparable strengths and difficulties in these populations Outcomes associated with kinship care. Some of the strongest research conducted to date comparing kinship Foster care to Foster Family care has utilized statewide administrative data to examine children’s entrances, exits, and service utilization while in care Although children in kinship Foster care reunify with their birth parents more slowly than children in non—kin care, the proportion of children ultimately reunified from kin and non—kin care is roughly similar for both groups after about four years (Bemck, Needell, Barth, & Jonson-Reid, in press: Needell, Webster, Barth, & AFITIIJO, 1996). Because the rate of reunifica- tion is slower, and because children in kinship care experience *Funding for this study was provided by the Santa Clara County Social Services Agency I would like to thank the kin and non—kin toster parents who consented to partici- pate in this study and who spoke of their experience raising children Thanks also to Cassan- dra Simmel, who assisted with data analysis **Address correspondence to Jill Dueir Bemck, Ph D, Center for Social Services Research, School of Social Welfare, University ot California Berkeley, 120 I-laviland Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-7400 Key Words Foster care, kinship care. quality (Famil) Relations, 1997. 46, 273-280 ) 273 Copvriqht © 2001. All Rights Reseved.
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Group Care and Young Children
Social Service Review, 1997Co-Authors: Jill Duerr Berrick, Richard P. Barth, Barbara Needell, Melissa Jonson-reidAbstract:The average age of children residing in Foster care has declined considerably in recent years because of the large influx of infants and very young children into care. The large majority of these young children are placed in Foster Family homes or with kin, but a not insubstantial number are placed in group care settings. We review group care for young children in California against the standards of child welfare philosophy: to protect children and promote permanence. Compared with a primary placement in Foster homes, group care for young children results in less stability, lower rates of adoption, and a greater likelihood of remaining in care.
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a comparison of kinship Foster homes and Foster Family homes implications for kinship Foster care as Family preservation
Children and Youth Services Review, 1994Co-Authors: Jill Duerr Berrick, Richard P. Barth, Barbara NeedellAbstract:Abstract In recent years, child welfare caseloads have expanded rapidly, and increasing numbers of children have been placed with kin. Much of the current discussion surrounding kinship Foster care stems from its rapid growth and the paucity of information about the placement type compared to our knowledge of other forms of Foster care. The study reported here provides information about kinship Foster care and Foster Family care focusing on the demographic characteristics of providers; the services providers receive; the children served in care; and issues of visitation with birth parents. The study highlights marked differences in providers and in the services they receive. Policy and practice considerations in the development of this field are also offered.
John G Orme - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Foster parents reasons for Fostering and Foster Family utilization
Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 2015Co-Authors: Kathryn Rhodes, John G Orme, Tanya M CoakleyAbstract:Better utilization of Foster families might be linked to parents' reasons for Fostering. This study used data from the National Survey of Current and Former Foster Parents to examine relationships between reasons for Fostering and types of services and length of service Foster parents provide. Top reasons for Fostering were child-centered. The least endorsed reasons were self-oriented. Those who Fostered to help children with special problems were more likely to have a child placed, had more children, and had Fostered more types of special needs children. Parents who Fostered because their children were grown were more likely to have a child placed, had more children, and were more likely to intend to continue Fostering. Conversely, parents who wanted to be loved or who wanted companionship Fostered fewer children. Implications for improving Foster Family utilization are discussed.
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parental and familial characteristics of Family Foster care applicants
Children and Youth Services Review, 2004Co-Authors: John G Orme, Cheryl Buehler, Kathryn W Rhodes, Michael Mcsurdy, David A PattersonAbstract:Abstract Foster Family applicants form the pool from which caregivers are selected for 75% of the 568 000 children in Foster care. We know little about these applicants along dimensions thought to influence the behavioral and emotional adjustment of Foster children. This limits our understanding of how best to recruit, assess, train, and support these applicants. This study examined the psychosocial functioning of 161 Family Foster care applicants in terms of parenting, Family functioning, marital quality, psychological problems, and social support. It also examined demographic characteristics. The majority of men and women had one or more problems in psychosocial functioning, but most only had one or two problems. However, approximately 17% of women and 24% of men had three or more problems. Considerable diversity existed in demographic characteristics. Implications of these results for the recruitment, assessment, training, and support of Foster Family applicants are discussed.
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Foster Family resources psychosocial functioning and retention
Social Work Research, 2003Co-Authors: Kathryn W Rhodes, John G Orme, Cheryl BuehlerAbstract:The chronic shortage of Foster families is exacerbated by the fact that many families discontinue during the first year. This longitudinal study examined the effect of Family resources and psychosocial problems on retention. Almost 50 percent of families who started preservice training did not complete it. Of the 131 families who completed training, 46 percent had already discontinued or planned to discontinue at six-months. Families with more resources, especially income, were more likely to continue. African American and single-parent families were less likely to continue, but not when controlling for income. Families with more psychosocial problems and fewer resources were more likely to express uncertainly about continuing. These results have important implications for recruitment and retention of Foster families. Key words: drop out; Foster care; Foster families; Foster parents; retention ********** Three-fourths of the 568,000 children in Foster Care live with Foster families (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], 2001). Even with the rise in the use of kinship homes, agencies place approximately two-thirds of children in nonkinship families (DHHS, 2001). However, national data based on reports from 38 states indicate that there were only 133,500 licensed nonkinship Foster families (Child Welfare League of America [CWLA], 1998). Up to 40 percent of Foster families discontinue Fostering during the first year (Baring-Gould, Essick, Kleinkauf, & Miller, 1983; Casey Family Programs, 2000; Chamberlain, Moreland, & Reid, 1992; Pasztor & Wynne, 1995; Ryan, 1985; U.S. General Accounting Office [GAO], 1989), and another 20 percent plan to do so (Rhodes, Orme, & Buehler, 2001). Consequently, there is a chronic shortage of Foster families. Parenting competence in general and Foster parenting ability in particular result from the cumulative effects of social and economic resources and parental and familial psychosocial functioning (Sameroff, Bartko, Baldwin, Baldwin, & Seifer, 1998; Seaberg & Harrigan, 1997, 1999). The number of Family resources has been associated positively with willingness to provide placements for children with special needs and with measures of Foster home utilization (Cox, Orme, & Rhodes, in press). However, little research exists concerning the effects of such resources or psychosocial functioning on families' decisions to Foster. In addition, there is little research on what influences individuals to become Foster parents (Baum, Crase, & Crase, 2001; Cox, Buehler, & Orme, 2002), and no earlier research on why some families discontinue Fostering during the first year, despite documentation of high dropout rates during this time. RETENTION RESEARCH Only a small percentage of agency-recruited families ultimately become Foster parents (Friedman, Lardieri, Murphy, Quick, & Wolfe, 1980; Rodwell & Biggerstaff, 1995; Siegel & Roberts, 1989). Many families discontinue after their first few contacts with agencies (Friedman et al., 1980) or self-select out during preservice training (Pasztor, 1985). Other families complete training then decide not to pursue Fostering. Agencies eliminate some applicants because of age, poor health, criminal background, or other reasons. Yet, the percentage of rejected families is small compared with those who discontinue voluntarily before approval (Kadushin & Martin, 1988). Dropout before approval might screen out unsuitable applicants (Smith & Gutheil, 1988), but this has never been examined empirically. What we know about why families discontinue Fostering has come from a few cross-sectional studies. Some studies have found that Foster parents were more likely to discontinue if they were dissatisfied with agency relationships or had poor communication with workers (Bating-Gould et al., 1983; Rhodes et al., 2001; Triseliotis, Borland, & Hill, 1998) or if they had concerns about children's behavior, children returning to undesirable circumstances, agency red tape, low reimbursement rates, or the Fostering role (Denby & Rindfleisch, 1996; Rhodes et al. …
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recruitment and Foster Family service
Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 2002Co-Authors: Cheryl Buehler, John G OrmeAbstract:Using data from the National Survey of Current and Former Foster Parents this study examined how Foster parents first found out about the need for Foster parents (mass media, other Foster parents, religious organization, or civic organization) affected Foster Family service (number of children Fostered, years of Fostering service, Fostering of children with special needs, and families' intent to continue Fostering). Respondents who became aware of the need for Foster parents through religious organizations Fostered for more years; respondents who became aware through mass media Fostered for fewer years. How Foster families first found out about the need for Foster parents did not differentially affect other Foster Family service measures. Implications for Foster parent recruitment and future research are discussed. ********** Three-fourths of the 568,000 children in Foster care live with Foster families (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], 2001). Even with the rise in the use of kinship families, agencies place approximately two-thirds of children in non-kinship families (DHHS, 2001). However, there is a chronic shortage of Foster families (DHHS, 1993). This is due in large part to the fact that many certified families quit Fostering within the first year of service (Baring-Gould, Essick, Kleinkauf, & Miller, 1983; Casey Family Programs, 2000; Chamberlain, Moreland, & Reid, 1992; Pasztor & Wynne, 1995; Ryan, 1985; U.S. General Accounting Office [GAO], 1989), and many families who continue are not willing to Foster children with special needs (DHHS, 1993). Considerable practice wisdom exists concerning how to recruit Foster families (Barbell & Sheikh, 2000; Casey Family Programs, 2000; Pasztor & Wynne, 1995). However, very little research exists concerning recruitment in general, and there is even less regarding how to recruit families willing to Foster for a number of years and willing to Foster children with special needs. This paucity of research makes it difficult for agencies to know how to recruit Foster families effectively, and this is especially problematic because recruitment is time-consuming and expensive (Barbell & Sheikh, 2000; Craig & McNally, 1982; Rodwell & Biggerstaff, 1993). To help agencies shape recruitment efforts we examine the relationships between how Foster parents first became aware of the need for Foster families (awareness source) and the type and length of service provided by these families. "Type of service" refers to the number of children Fostered and the number of types of special-needs children Fostered. "Length of service" refers to years of Fostering and the intention to continue Fostering. The effects of awareness source on the type and length of service for subgroups of Foster parents are examined to better target recruitment efforts. Specifically, we examine whether the effects of awareness source are different for those who: are European- and African-American; live in rural and non-rural areas; have different motivations to Foster; do and do not have previous exposure to Fostering; and do and do not have previous exposure to persons with specials needs. Previous Research on Awareness Source Recruitment campaigns have two goals: (a) to raise public awareness about Fostering and the need for Foster families, and (b) to recruit qualified Foster parents (DHHS, 1993; Glassberg, 1965; Meltsner, 1984; GAO, 1989). To accomplish these goals agencies primarily use four venues to publicize information about Foster care and the need for Family Foster homes: (a) mass media (newspapers, television, radio, billboards, printed material), (b) personal contacts with Foster parents, (c) churches, and (d) community or civic organizations. It is important to note that researchers have not always distinguished awareness source from other factors that had a determining influence on the decision to Foster. …
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Foster Family characteristics and behavioral and emotional problems of Foster children a narrative review
Family Relations, 2001Co-Authors: John G Orme, Cheryl BuehlerAbstract:Foster Family Characteristics and Behavioral and Emotional Problems of Foster Children: A Narrative Review* The purpose of this article is to review the literature on the Foster Family characteristics that are thought to contribute to the behavioral and emotional problems of Foster children. The review is shaped by an understanding of the personal and familial factors associated with children's problem behaviors in the general population. These factors include parenting, the Family home environment, Family functioning, marital functioning, Family demography, child temperament, parents' mental health, and social support. Limitations within the existing research on these Foster Family characteristics are noted, and suggestions for future research are provided. Despite trends away from out-of-home placement (Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, 1997; Pecora, Whittaker, Maluccio, Barth, & Plotnick, 1992), the number of children removed from their homes and placed in Foster care is large and increasing. In 1982 there were 262,000 children in care. In 1996 507,000 children were in Foster care, and 725,000 children were served by the Foster care system at some time during that year (Tatara, 1998). Many children in Foster care have significant behavioral and emotional problems (e.g., Heflinger, Simpkins, & Combs-Orme, 2000; Pilowsky, 1995), and many of them are at risk for developing additional problems because of a history of child abuse and neglect, Family poverty, or parental mental health problems (e.g., Blumberg, Landsverk, Ellis-MacLeod, Ganger, & Culver, 1996; Courtney, Piliavin, & Wright, 1997; Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, 1997; Horwitz, Simms, Farrington, 1994; Rosenfeld et al., 1997; Schmidt-Tieszen & McDonald, 1998; Stein, Rae-Grant, Ackland, & Avison, 1994; Takayama, Wolfe, & Coulter, 1998). In addition to familial risk factors for behavioral and emotional problems, Foster placement itself may be a risk factor for such problems (e.g., adjustment to a new Family, placement disruptions). However, the link between Foster care placement and child problem behaviors is not well established, and the causal direction of this relationship is unclear (Fanshel, Finch, & Grundy, 1990; Fanshel & Shinn, 1978; Pardeck, 1984; J. Rowe, Cain, Hundleby, & Keane, 1984). Foster Families In 1996, approximately three fourths of the children in Foster care were placed with Foster families (Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, 1997, Table 08-C), the remainder being in other types of care, such as residential or group homes. On a day-to-day basis, Foster families are the front-line service providers for these children and form the foundation of substitute care services in the United States. As Fanshel and Shinn (1978) observed, "We can think of no greater influence on the well-being of Foster children while they are in care than those who directly minister to their needs" (p. 496). Foster Family services are increasingly crucial because federal and state resources for child welfare services have not kept pace with the critical needs of Foster children. Hiring freezes, low pay, and difficult working conditions have led to caseworker shortages, less experienced and educated caseworkers, high caseloads, and high burnout and turnover rates among caseworkers (Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, 1997; Department of Health and Human Services, National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, 1995; General Accounting Office, 1995). Also, a large proportion of Foster children with behavioral and emotional problems who are referred for mental health services to treat urgent needs do not receive such services (Blumberg et al., 1996; Risley-Curtiss, Combs-Orme, Chernoff, & Heisler, 1996). This proportion of children with behavioral and emotional problems might increase in the near future because of recent efforts to move children quickly through the Foster care system. …
Paul Vedder - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Foster Parent Stress as Key Factor Relating to Foster Children’s Mental Health: A 1-Year Prospective Longitudinal Study
Child & Youth Care Forum, 2020Co-Authors: Anouk Goemans, Mitch Van Geel, Renate S. M. Buisman, Paul VedderAbstract:Background Foster children are reported to often have mental health difficulties. To optimize Foster children’s development chances, we need to know more about the characteristics that are predictive of Foster children’s mental health. Objective In the current study, we aimed to establish what accounts for the differences in Foster children’s mental health, by examining the change and predictors of change in Foster children’s mental health. Insight into Foster children’s mental health outcomes and their predictors could inform the design of targeted interventions and support for Foster children and Foster families. Method In a sample of 432 Foster children between 4 and 17 years old ( M = 10.90) we examined a multivariate model in which characteristics of the Foster child, the child’s care experiences, Foster Family, and Foster placement were included as predictors of Foster children’s mental health (internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors) using a three-wave longitudinal design Results Results showed that levels of mental health were generally stable over time. Differences between Foster children’s developmental outcomes were mainly predicted by Foster parent stress. Conclusions Foster parent stress levels were high and consistently found to be the strongest predictor of Foster children’s mental health outcomes. Given this finding it is important for researchers and practitioners to consider Foster parent stress in screening as a point of attention in creating conditions conducive to Foster children’s mental health.
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psychosocial functioning in dutch Foster children the relationship with child Family and placement characteristics
Child Abuse & Neglect, 2016Co-Authors: Anouk Goemans, Mitch Van Geel, Paul VedderAbstract:Foster care is the preferred alternative for out-of-home care, but not necessarily beneficial for Foster children's psychosocial functioning. This dilemma leaves researchers with a challenge to find out more about the factors related to Foster children's social and emotional functioning. In a sample of 446 Dutch Foster children we examined the extent to which three clusters of characteristics, those akin to the Foster child, the Foster Family, or Foster placement, were related to Foster children's functioning at the time of research. Multivariate three-step hierarchical regression analyses were performed for three outcome variables: externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and prosocial behavior. We found that all three clusters of Foster care characteristics were significantly related to Foster children's functioning. Foster placement characteristics, in particular interventions aimed at Foster children, explained the largest amount of variance in behavior problems. Children receiving interventions had more externalizing and internalizing problems. A possible explanation is that interventions are indicated for those Foster children who are in the highest need of additional support. Prosocial behavior was particularly related to Foster Family characteristics. The results were mostly in line with international research. Careful screening and monitoring of the social and emotional functioning of Foster children may help to identify problems at an early stage. In addition (preventive) support should be offered to those Foster children and families who are in need of it.
Richard P. Barth - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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policy implications of Foster Family characteristics
Family Relations, 2001Co-Authors: Richard P. BarthAbstract:The authors of "Foster Family Characteristics and Behavior and Emotional Problems of Foster Children" clearly understand the significant opportunity and public responsibility to provide assistance to abused and neglected children in Foster care. They identify some likely outcomes of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997, which shortens the time for making a decision about whether a child will return home or go on to another "permanent" placement. They surmise that children who remain in Foster care will "become increasingly more challenging as a group." Although this prediction is not a major contention of their paper, because it is used to justify the review, it warrants some discussion. ASFA may have a greater impact on the size of the group of children in Foster care than on the composition of the group, although available data make this difficult to predict. ASFA may not have much significance aside from shifting the locus of services for troubled children who have been abused and neglected from Foster care to being at home and being adopted. Because it is Foster parents who adopt most older children in Foster care, many of these Foster parents will need the same support as adoptive parents that they needed as Foster parents. My skepticism about the authors' assumptions aside, there is still every reason to believe that children in Foster care will continue to be a challenging population. The authors' dire prediction is not needed to justify the attention they give to the finding that our Foster parents are often not adequately trained or supported to fulfill their roles in the ways that the public expects and that the children need. This review provides a thorough exposition of the limits of the Foster Family care research, although apparently no studies were excluded on the basis of any of these limitations. Thus reading the review required a constant struggle: to try to appreciate the possible lessons from the studies while keeping in mind that the small sample sizes and low response rates made the studies very hard to learn from. Most significantly, we still do not know whether the respondents were typical of Foster parents or if they were more likely to be the least overburdened and most able, proud, committed, and flexible Foster parents. The picture of Foster home environments and their psychological and socioemotional characteristics may, then, be less favorable than the researchers and reviewers report-a bleak possibility, given the many comparisons that locate the Foster parent population below that of the general public. This article may be the first that adequately integrates the burgeoning information about fathers' roles with the literature about Foster and adoptive care. This is a critical issue in substitute care, as the proportion of Foster and adoptive families headed by single parents has grown in recent years because of special recruiting initiatives for single parents of color and because of the expansion of kinship Foster care. For example, single parent adoptions in California increased from 9% of all agency adoptions in 1976 to 22% in 1995 (Barth, Brooks, & Iyer, 1997). The high cost of housing and higher standards of living have resulted in household economies that increasingly rely on at least two jobs. Traditional Foster care reimbursement rates are not a net financial gain for any but the poorest single-earner households. Treatment or specialized Foster care has higher reimbursement rates for families and can help to substitute for a second earner (usually the mother), because the reimbursements are taxfree. Thus, a payment of $900 a month for each of two children results in an after-tax reimbursement of $21,600. This figure may be enough to keep potential wage earners at home. However, there is a potential downside to professionalizing Foster care in this way. When the reimbursement rate rises to the level of a wage, there is apparently organizational pressure to preserve the source of that wage. …
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Group Care and Young Children
Social Service Review, 1997Co-Authors: Jill Duerr Berrick, Richard P. Barth, Barbara Needell, Melissa Jonson-reidAbstract:The average age of children residing in Foster care has declined considerably in recent years because of the large influx of infants and very young children into care. The large majority of these young children are placed in Foster Family homes or with kin, but a not insubstantial number are placed in group care settings. We review group care for young children in California against the standards of child welfare philosophy: to protect children and promote permanence. Compared with a primary placement in Foster homes, group care for young children results in less stability, lower rates of adoption, and a greater likelihood of remaining in care.
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a comparison of kinship Foster homes and Foster Family homes implications for kinship Foster care as Family preservation
Children and Youth Services Review, 1994Co-Authors: Jill Duerr Berrick, Richard P. Barth, Barbara NeedellAbstract:Abstract In recent years, child welfare caseloads have expanded rapidly, and increasing numbers of children have been placed with kin. Much of the current discussion surrounding kinship Foster care stems from its rapid growth and the paucity of information about the placement type compared to our knowledge of other forms of Foster care. The study reported here provides information about kinship Foster care and Foster Family care focusing on the demographic characteristics of providers; the services providers receive; the children served in care; and issues of visitation with birth parents. The study highlights marked differences in providers and in the services they receive. Policy and practice considerations in the development of this field are also offered.