Recruitment, Training, and Support for High Quality Foster Care Jill Duerr Berrick University of California, Berkeley

Overview Recruitment Training Support

Recruitment

How do we Typically Recruit Foster Parents? Word of mouth Bus stop advertisements Tax and utility bill flyers Brochures in doctor offices One church-one child Neighbor-to-family Family-to-family

How do we Message Potential Foster Parents? Every child needs a home Show me love so I can learn love Is there room at your table? Open hearts, open homes Make dreams come true

What do we Get? What are the Characteristics of Today’s Average Foster Parents? Compared to “average” families, US foster parents are:   Older   Less well-educated   Less well-off financially

Other Characteristics ¾ married 2/3 have < H.S. (secondary) education < ½ work full- or part-timee Large family size 1/5 th have family incomes below poverty line 1/5 th have family income just above poverty line

Quality? 1/5 th : “problems in their home environment, family functioning and parenting.” 1/5 th “highly aggravated” caregivers or “poor mental health.” “average care” is “much less stimulating” than care in general population and is “marginally adequate.”

What do know about Foster Parents’ Motivations? Want to make a difference Inspired by altruism or faith beliefs A personal identification with foster children’s circumstances “Empty nest syndrome”

Recruiting for Excellence Study methods California Diverse counties Foster carers recruited for excellence Focus groups Questions focus on: Characteristics Behaviors Activities you engage in Things you like to do

Study Findings

Foster Parent Characteristics Flexible Teachers Members of a team Loving Family-centered Up for a challenge

Foster Parent Personalities Extroverted Agreeable Conscientious Emotionally stable Open

Foster Parent Behaviors Loving and nurturing the healthy development of a child Accepting the child as a full member of the family Advocating for the needs of the child Strengthening the child’s connection to the birth family Valuing the role of team member Knowing when to ask for help

Partnering with Business Branding “ a name, term, sign, or symbol designed to identify a good or service and differentiate it from others.”

Characteristics of a Well- Conceived Brand Delivers a clear message Connects with the target audience emotionally Motivates the target audience

A New Campaign Message

Training for Quality

Is it just Good Parenting? ResponsiveResponsive ProactiveProactive EngagedEngaged IntentionalIntentional Modeling consistent pro-social behaviorsModeling consistent pro-social behaviors

Parenting + Study Methods In person interviews 87 U.S. foster parents 54 Norwegian foster parents Selected as “exemplary”

Parenting + Factor #1: Attends to the child’s experience of integrating into a new family

Parenting + Factor #1: Attends to the child’s experience of integrating into a new family   Treating the child as their own

Parenting + Factor #1: Attends to the child’s experience of integrating into a new family   Treating the child as their own   Activities to ease the transition

Parenting + Factor #2: Honors the relationship between the child, birth family, and foster family.

Parenting + Factor #2: Honors the relationship between the child, birth family, and foster family.   Parenting with respect and humility

Parenting + Factor #2: Honors the relationship between the child, birth family, and foster family.   Parenting with respect and humility   Parenting as an emotional buffer

Parenting + Factor #2: Honors the relationship between the child, birth family, and foster family.   Parenting with respect and humility   Parenting as an emotional buffer   Care in the context of porous relationships

Parenting + Factor #3: Responds to the development and special needs of the child.

Parenting + Factor #3: Responds to the development and special needs of the child.   Parenting with a child-centered approach

Parenting + Factor #3: Responds to the development and special needs of the child.   Parenting with a child-centered approach   Advocating for the child

Parenting + Factor #3: Responds to the development and special needs of the child.   Parenting with a child-centered approach   Advocating for the child   Intentional Re-Parenting

Parenting + Factor #3: Responds to the development and special needs of the child.   Parenting with a child-centered approach   Advocating for the child   Intentional Re-parenting   Orienting the child to care

Support

Top 10 Strategies to Support High Quality Foster Parents

#1 Retention begins with your first interaction

#2 Foster parents must experience the mission in their ongoing interactions with social workers and other staff in the agency

#3 Offer support for their daily practices

#4 Respond with support when they need it the most

#5 Embrace foster parents as team members

#6 Use foster parents as an agency resource

#7 Publicly and privately affirm foster parents for their truly heroic work and their daily impacts on children and families.

#8 Develop learning circles

#9 Be transparent

#10 Be responsive

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