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Intercountry adoptions and domestic home study practices: SAFE and the Hague Adoption Convention
- Author:
- CREA Thomas M.
- Journal article citation:
- International Social Work, 52(5), September 2009, pp.673-678.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The relationship between home study practices and the Hague Convention are briefly reviewed. Research findings related to the Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) home study methodology, the first standardized home study process widely implemented in the USA are also presented.
The implementation and expansion of SAFE: frontline responses and the transfer of technology to practice
- Authors:
- CREA Thomas M., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 31(8), August 2009, pp.903-910.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Recent discussions of evidence-based practices have focused on translating programmatic conceptual frameworks and best practices into the “real world” of practice settings. This article discusses the implementation and expansion of the Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) home study methodology over the course of 4 years. Survey data include the evaluations of frontline employees (n = 220), from multiple sites, regarding SAFE's ability to identify effectively families' potential issues of concern during the home study process. Perceptions of SAFE's usefulness as a home study method for a variety of family and practice situations are also measured and illuminated with qualitative accounts. Respondents indicated that SAFE more effectively identifies most issues of concern when compared with conventional methods, and that SAFE is a useful method for evaluating prospective resource families across a variety of situations. Some respondents expressed that SAFE still requires some improvements, and that some areas of home study practice in general are beyond reach for any method (e.g., applicant honesty). Given the positive responses for SAFE regarding increased thoroughness, however, this study adds to evidence that SAFE may lead to both improved practice and more accurate home studies, and lays the groundwork for further empirical exploration of the SAFE home study method.
The intersection of home study assessments and child specific recruitment: the performance of home studies in practice
- Authors:
- CREA Thomas M., GRIFFIN Amy, BARTH Richard P.
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 33(1), January 2011, pp.28-33.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Home study assessments form a large part in the process of gathering information about prospective adoptive families. This study explores how home studies are perceived and used in the context of child specific recruitment. Adoption recruiters from employed through the Wendy's Wonderful Kids (WWK) program in the United States took part in focus groups and an online survey to give their opinions in current adoption practice.
Structured home study evaluations: perceived benefits of SAFE versus conventional home studies
- Authors:
- CREA Thomas M., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Adoption Quarterly, 12(2), April 2009, pp.78-99.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia
In this study, the authors measured professionals' perceptions of a new approach to home study assessments, the Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE), a standardised home study method for assessing prospective adoptive, foster and kinship families which operates in 13 US states and Canadian provinces. The 6 primary components of the SAFE methodology are: a statement of practice values outlining 10 practice guidelines to ensure the validity of the process, information gathering tools including standardised questionnaires and templates for the family's references, a psychosocial inventory providing assessment based on 68 psychosocial factors using a 5-point scale, a desk guide tool for rating and analysing the data gathered using the psychosocial inventory, a pre-formatted home study providing a comprehensive standardised report and a matching inventory structured compatibility list designed to assist placement workers in assessing the "goodness of fit" between children and prospective families. The article describes SAFE assessments, and a survey of child welfare agency staff in 4 US states following training in using SAFE. The findings indicated that workers favoured the use of SAFE overall, with less experienced workers being especially positive about it, while more experienced workers and supervisors tended to be less positive. The authors conclude that further research is needed regarding the implementation of the SAFE methodology in practice.
Home study methods for evaluating prospective resource families: history, current challenges, and promising approaches
- Authors:
- CREA Thomas M., BARTH Richard R., CHINTAPALLI Laura K.
- Journal article citation:
- Child Welfare Journal, 86(2), March 2007, pp.141-159.
- Publisher:
- Child Welfare League of America
Every state in America requires a home study before the placement of foster children for adoption. This article examines the history of homes studies, presents results from expert interviews on the changing process and purposes of home studies, and explores current challenges for the field. The article also introduces the Structure Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE), a uniform home study format that encourages consistent family evaluations across workers, agencies, and jurisdictions. The article clarifies how SAFE may address challenges facing foster care and adoption practice in the United States.