factors predicting foster carer satisfaction and the decision to stay in fostering
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Factors predicting foster carer satisfaction and the decision to stay in fostering. Mrs Anne Eaton Dr Marie Caltabiano James Cook University. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Factors predicting foster carer satisfaction and the
decision to stay in fostering
Mrs Anne EatonDr Marie Caltabiano
James Cook University
I can understand why there is not only a shortage of [foster] carers but also why new carers quite often last for only a short time. … I have three children of my own but have opened my home to others.
After being approved recently, I was asked to care for three extra children which I took on as I was the last resort due to the short supply of carers. I have as yet been given no training, no information, no handbook. I have no idea if there are any support groups or meetings I can attend. I do not know what my entitlements are in regards to support, transport, equipment etc…
(A Queensland Foster Carer, April 2005)
Out-of-Home Care Queensland
An increase of 69% in three years
2005: 5,337 Children in Foster care
2002: 3,163 Children in Foster Care
2004: 4,184 Children in Foster Care
2003: 3,497 Children in Foster Care
(Department of Child Safety, 2006)
Foster Carers
“a person who has been fully assessed, trained and approved by the Department of Child Safety to provide family-based care for children who are subject to statutory child protection intervention” (p.33).
(Department of Child Safety, 2004)
Definition
Status of Foster Carers
Foster carers are frequently treated almost as a necessary evil rather than specialist volunteers who contribute much emotionally, personally and financially to the care of children.
(p.117, CMC, 2004)
Some Background Research
84% rate support as very importantLack of support - a reason for quittingJob control is more rewardingLack of control lowers satisfaction
Some Background Research
Satisfaction impacts on retentionIntention to quit correlated with departure
(AFCA, 2001; Baum et al, 2001; Bond & Bunce, 2003; Carter, 2004; Dollard et al., 2000; McHugh, 2002; Pasztor & Wynne, 1995; Sinclair et al, 2004; McCubbin et el, 1996; Pearlin et al, 1990; Reber, 1995)
Satisfaction is linked to motivation
Our Research
investigated the interaction between perceived supports, locus of control, satisfaction, and personal commitment of Queensland foster carers and their possible influence on retention rates
investigated the interaction between perceived supports, locus of control, satisfaction, and personal commitment of Queensland foster carers and their possible influence on retention rates
What we Did
186 Queensland Foster CarersMembers of Foster Care Queensland (FCQ)Self-Report Style Questionnaire
(AFCA, 2001; Dept Child Safety, 2004)
What we did
Demographic details about carersSupport for fostering Foster Carer Locus of ControlSatisfaction with fostering Commitment to the children in careLikelihood of staying or leavingThree open-ended questions
Questionnaire content included:
What we expected -The Hypotheses
Support
ControlSatisfaction
PersonalCommitment
Stay or Leave
Satisfaction
The Statistical Results
DV: Total Satisfaction
Multiple Regression Analysis
IVs: Perceived Support & Locus of Control
F (2,173) = 87.24, p < .001
• Both IVs made a significant contribution to the prediction of the DV
The Statistical Results
IVs: Satisfaction and Commitment
Logistic Regression Analysis
Both IVs made a significant contribution to the prediction of the DV
DV: Stay or Leave
What we expected -The Hypotheses
Support
ControlSatisfaction
PersonalCommitment
Stay or Leave
So What?RetentionMatching
The Factor ResultsPerceived Support – emotional & practical
based on discrepancy between ideal and actual
LowestDiscrepancies
HighestDiscrepancies
Spouse/Partner Child Safety Officer
Best Friend Agency Support Person
Extended Family Member FCQ FAST Delegate
overall lower than ideal
LowestDiscrepancies
HighestDiscrepancies
Spouse/Partner Child Safety Officer
Best Friend Agency Support Person
Extended Family Member FCQ FAST Delegate
LowestDiscrepancies
HighestDiscrepancies
Spouse/Partner Child Safety Officer
Best Friend Agency Support Person
Extended Family Member FCQ FAST Delegate
LowestDiscrepancies
HighestDiscrepancies
Spouse/Partner Child Safety Officer
Best Friend Agency Support Person
Extended Family Member FCQ FAST Delegate
LowestDiscrepancies
HighestDiscrepancies
Spouse/Partner Child Safety Officer
Best Friend Agency Support Person
Extended Family Member FCQ FAST Delegate
LowestDiscrepancies
HighestDiscrepancies
Spouse/Partner Child Safety Officer
Best Friend Agency Support Person
Extended Family Member FCQ FAST Delegate
Foster carer to foster carer
The Factor Results
Normal distribution of scores
Locus of Control Locus of control scale score
Locus of control scale score
102
86
82
79
76
73
70
67
64
61
58
55
52
49
46
43
40
35
32
Fre
qu
en
cy
10
8
6
4
2
0
Slightly more internals than externals
The Factor Results
Personal CommitmentHave you made a personal commitment to a child in your care?
N %
Yes 129 69.4
No 54 29.0
No Answer 3 1.6
Total 186 100.0
Have you made a personal commitment to a child in your care?
N %
Yes 129 69.4
No 54 29.0
No Answer 3 1.6
Total 186 100.0
Have you made a personal commitment to a child in your care?
N %
Yes 129 69.4
No 54 29.0
No Answer 3 1.6
Total 186 100.0
The Factor ResultsOverall Satisfaction with
Fostering
N %
Very Satisfied 29 15.6
Satisfied 70 27.6
Neither Satisfied nor dissatisfied
43 23.1
Unsatisfied 22 11.8
Very unsatisfied 22 11.8
Total 186 100
Overall Satisfaction with Fostering
N %
Very Satisfied 29 15.6
Satisfied 70 27.6
Neither Satisfied nor dissatisfied
43 23.1
Unsatisfied 22 11.8
Very unsatisfied 22 11.8
Total 186 100
Overall Satisfaction with Fostering
N %
Very Satisfied 29 15.6
Satisfied 70 27.6
Neither Satisfied nor dissatisfied
43 23.1
Unsatisfied 22 11.8
Very unsatisfied 22 11.8
Total 186 100
43.2%
23.6%
The Factor ResultsLeave or Stay?
Likely to Give up in Next 18 Months
N %
Very likely 27 14.7
Somewhat likely 10 5.4
Unsure 21 11.4
Somewhat Unlikely 33 17.9
Very unlikely 93 50.3
Total 184 100
20.1%
The Factor Results
Plus…
Logistic Regression Analysis of Likelihood to Stay as a Dependant of Satisfaction and Commitment
95% CI for Odds Ratio
Variables B Wald Test
df Sig Odds Ratio
Upper
Lower
Commitment
.93 4.49 1 .034 2.54 1.07 6.03
Satisfaction .04 16.63 1 .000 1.04 1.02 1.05
Logistic Regression
Logistic Regression Analysis of Likelihood to Stay as a Dependant of Satisfaction and Commitment
95% CI for Odds Ratio
Variables B Wald Test
df Sig Odds Ratio
Upper
Lower
Commitment
.93 4.49 1 .034 2.54 1.07 6.03
Satisfaction .04 16.63 1 .000 1.04 1.02 1.05
Logistic Regression Analysis of Likelihood to Stay as a Dependant of Satisfaction and Commitment
95% CI for Odds Ratio
Variables B Wald Test
df Sig Odds Ratio
Upper
Lower
Commitment
.93 4.49 1 .034 2.54 1.07 6.03
Satisfaction .04 16.63 1 .000 1.04 1.02 1.05
Commitment has a greatest impact
The Factor Results
“I am 150% committed to the two children I have in care. Their needs are foremost in my life…” “[My] commitment to a seven year-old child in our long‑term care…”“We are very committed to the long-term children we have”
Commitment has the greatest impact
“Despite the massive inadequacies at the department our unconditional love and support to our foster child, and the joy she has brought to our family makes it all worthwhile”
The Factor Results Commitment has the greatest impact
“The children I have are the only reason I will not give up fostering”
Conclusion
Control and support Satisfaction Official supports need improvementSatisfaction and commitment Retention20% (317) expected to leaveReplacement is difficult and costlyChildren will be affected IF carers numbers decrease
Conclusion
RecognitionSome control and more supportConsideration of satisfaction levelsRemember: Foster carers are volunteers!High quality of careMore stable home environmentMore experienced carers
Thank You
Contact DetailsDr Marie [email protected] 07 4042 1183
Mrs Anne [email protected] 07 4054 3608
ReferencesAustralian Foster Care Association. (2001). Suppoerting Strong Parenting in the Australian Foster Care Sector. Canberra: Department of Family and Community Services. Retrieved March 16, 2003 from: http//www.fcaact.org.au/exec_ht.html Australian Foster Care Association (2005). Foster Care – The current Context. Retrieved 18 June, 2006, from www.fostercare.org.au/docs/fc_currentcontext.pdfBaum, A.C., Crase, S.J., & Crase, K.L. (2001). Influences on the decision to become or not become a foster parent. Families in Society, 82 (2), 202-213.CMC. (2004). Protecting Children: An Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Foster Care. Brisbane: The Crime and Misconduct Commission, Queensland.Carter, J. (2004). Wanted: A New Vision for Foster Care. Paper presented at the Australian Foster Care Association Annual Conference, Canberra.
ReferencesDelfabbro, P., Barber, J.G., & Cooper, L (2000). Placement disruption and dislocation in South Australian substitute care. Children Australia, 25, 16-20.Department of Child Safety. (2004). Child Protection Queensland: 2004 Child Protection System ‘Baseline’ Performance Report. Brisbane: Queensland GovernmentMcCubbin, H., Thompson, A., & McCubbin, M. (1996). Family assessment: Resiliency, coping and adaptation – Inventories for research and practice. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin System.McHugh, M. (2002). The Costs of Caring: A Study of Appropriate Foster Care Payments for Stable and Adequate Out-of-Home Care in Australia. Report prepared for Child and Family Welfare Association of Australia, Australian Foster Care Association, and the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales.
References O’Neill, C. (2000). Adoption, permanent care and foster care: Home-based care in and beyond the 199’s. Journal of Pediatrician's: Child Health, 36, 415-417.Pasztor, E.M. & Wynne, S.F. (1995). Foster Parent Retention and Recruitment: The State of the Art in Practice and Policy. Washington: Child Welfare League of America.Pearlin, L.I., Mullan, J.T., Sempe, S.J. & Skaff, M.M. (1990). Caregiving and the stress process: An overview of concepts and their measure. The Gerontologist, 30, 583-594.Sinclair, I., Gibbs, I., & Wilson, K. (2004). Foster Carers: Why They Stay and Why They Leave. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Wilson, K., Sinclair, I., & Gibbs, I. (2000). The trouble with foster care: the impact of stressful ‘events’ on foster carers. British Journal of Social Work, 30, 193-209.
What carers were satisfied with
Looking after foster childrenFeeling pride in being a foster carerSaw caring for foster child as enjoyableThe number of meetings to attendAvailability of reimbursements for child-related costs Value of training offeredQuality of training offered
What carers were not satisfied with
Amount of emotional support receivedNeeding to assert their rights to be treated as a professional team memberReliability of promises by departmental workersEmotional support received is as good as for paid employmentThe range of the training offered
What carers were not satisfied with
Organization of practical supportsAbout the need for some of the training Grief and loss support when child leavesTheir opportunities to participate in policy development and changesDepartmental processes that makes it difficult to be a good carerThe emotional support that is received