De Montfort University. School of Applied Social Sciences
Publication year:
2003
Pagination:
23p.
Place of publication:
Leicester
Traces the history and policy surrounding foster care in the UK. Sometimes children live with carers full time because of concerns for the child's welfare as a result of parental illness/ bereavement or in some cases as a result of child protection concerns and the parent(s) capacity to protect their child's welfare.
Traces the history and policy surrounding foster care in the UK. Sometimes children live with carers full time because of concerns for the child's welfare as a result of parental illness/ bereavement or in some cases as a result of child protection concerns and the parent(s) capacity to protect their child's welfare.
This is a report produced by Fostering Network Wales, which outlines the main findings of research on foster carers and fostering services, carried out on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government. The work was carried out for the Welsh Assembly Government as part of their 'Implementation of the Strategic Framework for Improving Placement Choice and Stability'. A 'Review of Fostering' and corresponding 'Review of Residential Care' is being undertaken to support this work and includes the commissioning of several pieces of work. This report is part of the Review of Fostering and links to a much wider study of fostering and residential care being undertaken by a separate research team. The research provides: a profile of foster carers in Wales, including a personal profile (age and so on), their qualifications, experience and training; and a profile of the arrangements for the delivery of fostering services in Wales.
This is a report produced by Fostering Network Wales, which outlines the main findings of research on foster carers and fostering services, carried out on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government. The work was carried out for the Welsh Assembly Government as part of their 'Implementation of the Strategic Framework for Improving Placement Choice and Stability'. A 'Review of Fostering' and corresponding 'Review of Residential Care' is being undertaken to support this work and includes the commissioning of several pieces of work. This report is part of the Review of Fostering and links to a much wider study of fostering and residential care being undertaken by a separate research team. The research provides: a profile of foster carers in Wales, including a personal profile (age and so on), their qualifications, experience and training; and a profile of the arrangements for the delivery of fostering services in Wales.
Subject terms:
social services, social care provision, adoption, foster care;
Social Service Review, 77(1), March 2003, pp.1-24.
Publisher:
University of Chicago Press
Discusses the use of event history analysis, specifically the Cox proportional hazards model, in research on timing of foster care outcomes. Examined previous studies of foster care outcomes which used the Cox Proportional Hazards Model. Focuses on the inclusion of autocorrelated data in the model, a statistical problem that has received little attention in studies of the timing of exit from or reentry into foster care. This article describes the Cox model, the problem posed by use of the model with autocorrelated data, and promising solutions to the problem. It focuses on one solution, the WLW model, and shows its benefits with data drawn from the authors' research programme.
Discusses the use of event history analysis, specifically the Cox proportional hazards model, in research on timing of foster care outcomes. Examined previous studies of foster care outcomes which used the Cox Proportional Hazards Model. Focuses on the inclusion of autocorrelated data in the model, a statistical problem that has received little attention in studies of the timing of exit from or reentry into foster care. This article describes the Cox model, the problem posed by use of the model with autocorrelated data, and promising solutions to the problem. It focuses on one solution, the WLW model, and shows its benefits with data drawn from the authors' research programme.
Journal of Family Social Work, 7(2), 2003, pp.55-72.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
A post-discharge outcomes interview for alumni of foster care was designated by four peer foster care agencies. Across all four agencies, 222 alumni were interviewed six months after being discharged from foster care services. Outcome domains, based on common measurement practices in child welfare and on social validation studies, include type of living environment (eg restrictiveness), placement stability, homelessness, school performance, employment, self-sufficiency, aggression, criminal behaviour, substance use, relationships, community involvement, protection from harm, satisfaction, and impact of services. Results of the outcomes were compared to nationally sampled studies of children not in care. Generally alumni reported positive outcomes across the various domains. The type of foster care, length of care, and age of alumni influenced the results. Implications for expanding this study to establish national benchmarks for outcomes, service use, and cost in foster care conclude the article. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
A post-discharge outcomes interview for alumni of foster care was designated by four peer foster care agencies. Across all four agencies, 222 alumni were interviewed six months after being discharged from foster care services. Outcome domains, based on common measurement practices in child welfare and on social validation studies, include type of living environment (eg restrictiveness), placement stability, homelessness, school performance, employment, self-sufficiency, aggression, criminal behaviour, substance use, relationships, community involvement, protection from harm, satisfaction, and impact of services. Results of the outcomes were compared to nationally sampled studies of children not in care. Generally alumni reported positive outcomes across the various domains. The type of foster care, length of care, and age of alumni influenced the results. Implications for expanding this study to establish national benchmarks for outcomes, service use, and cost in foster care conclude the article. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Children and Youth Services Review, 25(5/6), 2003, pp.431-462.
Publisher:
Elsevier
Despite research findings that African American children typically remain in foster care longer than similar white children, there had been little effort to understand whether the magnitude of the race effect varies for children admitted to care in different years. This article presents three sets of findings: data describing exit probabilities and placement duration for children admitted to care in 1990; annual estimates of the conditional probability of exit for successive entry cohorts; and results from stratified proportional hazard models. Results found that the race effect grew smaller during the 1990's. In respect to adoption, the length of stay differential had diminished. The data also point to the need to better understand the role of relatives within the foster care system. Finally, the data suggest the kind of time horizon that is necessary to understand the performance of the foster care system.
Despite research findings that African American children typically remain in foster care longer than similar white children, there had been little effort to understand whether the magnitude of the race effect varies for children admitted to care in different years. This article presents three sets of findings: data describing exit probabilities and placement duration for children admitted to care in 1990; annual estimates of the conditional probability of exit for successive entry cohorts; and results from stratified proportional hazard models. Results found that the race effect grew smaller during the 1990's. In respect to adoption, the length of stay differential had diminished. The data also point to the need to better understand the role of relatives within the foster care system. Finally, the data suggest the kind of time horizon that is necessary to understand the performance of the foster care system.
Subject terms:
adoption, black and minority ethnic people, foster care;
The majority of looked after children in England and Wales (nearly 70%) are placed in foster care (16), and it is important to ensure that such a key service is properly resourced and supported. The Fostering Network estimated recently that there was a shortage of nearly 7,000 foster families in England and Wales
The majority of looked after children in England and Wales (nearly 70%) are placed in foster care (16), and it is important to ensure that such a key service is properly resourced and supported. The Fostering Network estimated recently that there was a shortage of nearly 7,000 foster families in England and Wales
Subject terms:
looked after children, recruitment, staff retention, foster care, foster carers;
Ljetopis Studijskog Centra Socijalnog Rada, 10(2), 2003, pp.161-170.
Publisher:
University of Zagreb
Place of publication:
Zagreb
Social support as a mediator in relations between life's changes and adjustments, important for the growth of self-esteem and also a possible protective factor, is especially important for children living in children's homes and foster families. The results of children's perception of social support, (N=375) including examinees from ages 10 to 14 living in children's homes and foster families, are presented in the paper. The lowest social support is perceived by children living in children's homes while the perception of social support of children living in foster families does not vary significantly from the one expressed by children living in their own families (N=200). In conclusion, the authors explain the need for improving social support in children’s homes. [Article in Croatian].
Social support as a mediator in relations between life's changes and adjustments, important for the growth of self-esteem and also a possible protective factor, is especially important for children living in children's homes and foster families. The results of children's perception of social support, (N=375) including examinees from ages 10 to 14 living in children's homes and foster families, are presented in the paper. The lowest social support is perceived by children living in children's homes while the perception of social support of children living in foster families does not vary significantly from the one expressed by children living in their own families (N=200). In conclusion, the authors explain the need for improving social support in children’s homes. [Article in Croatian].
Subject terms:
looked after children, residential child care, self-esteem, social networks, foster care;
This report sets out the context in which fostering and residential services in Wales are provided. Consideration is then given to the planning of children's services. The purpose and future shape of residential care services are explored, and proposals for consideration by the Welsh Assembly Government are put forward.
This report sets out the context in which fostering and residential services in Wales are provided. Consideration is then given to the planning of children's services. The purpose and future shape of residential care services are explored, and proposals for consideration by the Welsh Assembly Government are put forward.
Extended abstract:
Author:CLOUGH Roger et al Title: Review of the purpose and future shape of fostering and residential care services for children and young people in Wales Publisher: Wales. Welsh Assembly Government, 2003
Summary
This two-part report consists of a review of the evidence from research on practice in the fostering and residential care of children and young people and the second stage report.
Context
The brief for the project was: a review of the purpose, effectiveness, development and management of foster care services in Wales ; and a review to consider the purpose and future shape of residential care services for children in Wales with the aim of establishing a cogent theoretical basis and strategic direction for the development of an effective, quality service.
Contents
The much larger first report, ‘What works in practice: a review of research evidence' consists of three parts. An i ntroduction, covering both parts, explains that each service (fostering and residential) will be examined in separate sections, and discusses research for practice, essential information, knowledge in the context of children's lives, and outcomes and evidence. ‘The fostering literature' consists of an overview, a discussion of foster care in Wales , and key messages. ‘Research into the residential care of children and young people' has sections on residential child care research: the state of knowledge; residential care in Wales ; and core topics for consideration by the
National Assembly for Wales . A bibliography is followed by ten appendices: 1. Fostering - International comparisons; 2. Key policy, guidance and targets; 3. The legal basis for remand and secure provision of young people; 4. Children with disabilities: reports from a workshop, March 2003, SSIW; 5. Training and qualification for residential work with children; 6. What makes a good residential worker?; 7. Reviews, guidance and statements of principle; 8. Key points from SSIW Inspections, 1996 – 98; 9. Educational provision for looked after children in Wales; and 10. Joint Reviews, 2001–2002. The Stage Two report begins by summarising the structure of the reviews. There follow five parts. The first reviews the purpose and future shape of fostering and residential care services for children in Wales, discussing the context, reviewing and summarising of information, planning children's services, differentiating between needs, the range of need, and the need for effective and efficient assessment and planning. Diagrams give a snapshot view of children on any one day, and a movie view of children in the process over a year. The second describes foster care services for children in Wales, concluding that the proposed agenda envisages them as part of a complex multidisciplinary package and that the first step is an audit of a random sample of children identified as being in need and identification of the interventions required. The third covers purpose and future shape of residential care services. The fourth part is an executive summary of proposals from the research team for consideration by the Welsh Assembly.
Conclusion
The fifth part gives shared conclusions from both reviews. For foster care, a development agenda and action proposals are essential. A collaborative approach is necessary. Leadership and urgency are highlighted. Robust strategic planning is important. Remuneration of foster carers needs urgent attention. A recruitment campaign and formal cost and effectiveness monitoring are called for. Residential care is a key component, not a service functioning in isolation. Strategy and structure development proposals are put forward. Investment in staff and managers is essential. Size of homes, partnership and corporate planning, services for children with greater degrees of disturbance, quality of daily living, and performance measurement are considered. There follows a discussion of research, and policy makers' frustration at its failure to answer the most pressing question: how to achieve the best possible outcome for a particular child. The value of descriptive studies, and their consequences for children's services, are considered. It is argued that research of a different and more robust kind is needed, and that small scale studies rather than ones surveying a majority of a population may be more helpful. Similarities and differences of foster and residential services in Wales are listed. Finally, significant planning and structural factors are listed: the proposed audit; the role of the Welsh Assembly Government and local authorities; local authorities ability to differentiate between children; the use made of information; and the strong case for the establishment of a Welsh centre to spearhead the collection and use of information on children.
Subject terms:
residential care, young people, children, evidence-based practice, foster care;
This review of the evidence from research on practice in the fostering and residential care of children and young people was the first stage of a larger review of fostering and residential services. The brief for the project was: a review of the purpose, effectiveness, development and management of foster care services in Wales; and a review to consider the purpose and future shape of residential care services for children in Wales with the aim of establishing a cogent theoretical basis and strategic direction for the development of an effective, quality service.
This review of the evidence from research on practice in the fostering and residential care of children and young people was the first stage of a larger review of fostering and residential services. The brief for the project was: a review of the purpose, effectiveness, development and management of foster care services in Wales; and a review to consider the purpose and future shape of residential care services for children in Wales with the aim of establishing a cogent theoretical basis and strategic direction for the development of an effective, quality service.
Extended abstract:
Author:CLOUGH Roger et al Title: Review of the purpose and future shape of fostering and residential care services for children and young people in Wales Publisher: Wales. Welsh Assembly Government, 2003
Summary
This two-part report consists of a review of the evidence from research on practice in the fostering and residential care of children and young people and the second stage report.
Context
The brief for the project was: a review of the purpose, effectiveness, development and management of foster care services in Wales ; and a review to consider the purpose and future shape of residential care services for children in Wales with the aim of establishing a cogent theoretical basis and strategic direction for the development of an effective, quality service.
Contents
The much larger first report, ‘What works in practice: a review of research evidence' consists of three parts. An i ntroduction, covering both parts, explains that each service (fostering and residential) will be examined in separate sections, and discusses research for practice, essential information, knowledge in the context of children's lives, and outcomes and evidence. ‘The fostering literature' consists of an overview, a discussion of foster care in Wales , and key messages. ‘Research into the residential care of children and young people' has sections on residential child care research: the state of knowledge; residential care in Wales ; and core topics for consideration by the
National Assembly for Wales . A bibliography is followed by ten appendices: 1. Fostering - International comparisons; 2. Key policy, guidance and targets; 3. The legal basis for remand and secure provision of young people; 4. Children with disabilities: reports from a workshop, March 2003, SSIW; 5. Training and qualification for residential work with children; 6. What makes a good residential worker?; 7. Reviews, guidance and statements of principle; 8. Key points from SSIW Inspections, 1996 – 98; 9. Educational provision for looked after children in Wales; and 10. Joint Reviews, 2001–2002. The Stage Two report begins by summarising the structure of the reviews. There follow five parts. The first reviews the purpose and future shape of fostering and residential care services for children in Wales, discussing the context, reviewing and summarising of information, planning children's services, differentiating between needs, the range of need, and the need for effective and efficient assessment and planning. Diagrams give a snapshot view of children on any one day, and a movie view of children in the process over a year. The second describes foster care services for children in Wales, concluding that the proposed agenda envisages them as part of a complex multidisciplinary package and that the first step is an audit of a random sample of children identified as being in need and identification of the interventions required. The third covers purpose and future shape of residential care services. The fourth part is an executive summary of proposals from the research team for consideration by the Welsh Assembly.
Conclusion
The fifth part gives shared conclusions from both reviews. For foster care, a development agenda and action proposals are essential. A collaborative approach is necessary. Leadership and urgency are highlighted. Robust strategic planning is important. Remuneration of foster carers needs urgent attention. A recruitment campaign and formal cost and effectiveness monitoring are called for. Residential care is a key component, not a service functioning in isolation. Strategy and structure development proposals are put forward. Investment in staff and managers is essential. Size of homes, partnership and corporate planning, services for children with greater degrees of disturbance, quality of daily living, and performance measurement are considered. There follows a discussion of research, and policy makers' frustration at its failure to answer the most pressing question: how to achieve the best possible outcome for a particular child. The value of descriptive studies, and their consequences for children's services, are considered. It is argued that research of a different and more robust kind is needed, and that small scale studies rather than ones surveying a majority of a population may be more helpful. Similarities and differences of foster and residential services in Wales are listed. Finally, significant planning and structural factors are listed: the proposed audit; the role of the Welsh Assembly Government and local authorities; local authorities ability to differentiate between children; the use made of information; and the strong case for the establishment of a Welsh centre to spearhead the collection and use of information on children.
Subject terms:
residential care, young people, children, evidence-based practice, foster care;
Adoption and Fostering, 27(4), Winter 2003, pp.46-50.
Publisher:
Sage
The authors propose two models of foster care to which, if further developed would add to the diversity of foster care services and make for a greater range of possible placements. The two models are: Family for Family, which involves the recruitment of a foster family for a birth family; and Circle of Friends, which is designed for children and young people whose behaviours exhaust traditional foster carers.
The authors propose two models of foster care to which, if further developed would add to the diversity of foster care services and make for a greater range of possible placements. The two models are: Family for Family, which involves the recruitment of a foster family for a birth family; and Circle of Friends, which is designed for children and young people whose behaviours exhaust traditional foster carers.
Subject terms:
models, challenging behaviour, families, foster care, foster carers;