Improving Relationships in Child Welfare Practice: Perspectives of Foster Care Providers

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• 作者：Jennifer M. Geiger ; Megan Hayes Piel…
• 关键词：Foster care ; Foster parents ; Child welfare ; Foster parent satisfaction
• 刊名：Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：February 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：34
• 期：1
• 页码：23-33
• 全文大小：
• 刊物类别：Behavioral Science
• 刊物主题：Personality and Social Psychology; Clinical Psychology; Sociology, general;
• 出版者：Springer US
• ISSN：1573-2797
• 卷排序：34

文摘

Foster parents care for our nation’s most vulnerable children and adolescents. Their ability to provide care is impacted directly and indirectly by their interactions with public child welfare agencies and workers. This study examines the perspectives of 1095 foster parents in a southwestern state in the U.S. regarding what they believe child welfare workers are doing well and their suggestions for ways to improve relationships between foster care providers and child welfare workers. Foster parents commended caseworkers who were responsive to their needs and provided ongoing concrete and emotional support, and believed there was a need for improved communication and enhanced teamwork. Foster parents consistently acknowledged an overwhelmed child welfare system and the impact on child welfare workers and child welfare-involved families. Understanding the perspectives of foster parents can improve relationships between child welfare workers and foster parents, improve recruitment and retention efforts of foster parents, prevent disruption of children from foster homes due to license closure, and improve the overall well-being of child welfare-involved children and families.