1. Evaluating Parent Satisfaction with Services Provided During and After Foster Care Placement Jennifer Ambrogio 1,3, BS, Eileen Hoffman 2,3, MA, CCC, Kelli Robinson 1,3, BA, LEND Fellows Jenean Castillo 3, PhD, Lisa Kahn 3, LMSW, MA, LEND Mentors Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) at Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) and New York Medical College ( 1 Fordham University; 2 Mercy College; 3 New York Medical College) BACKGROUND Study Design The Parent-Child Program was assessed through the use of anonymous questionnaires. Microsoft Excel was used to obtain descriptive statistics and Atlas-ti was used to analyze open ended items. Perceptions of the EFC Aftercare Program were assessed through a focus group and phone interviews. Data was analyzed using Atlas-ti. Participants METHODS PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS Child Welfare Services at WIHD provides families with services designed to meet the national child welfare standards of safety, permanency, and well-being. These programs include the Parent-Child Program and Every Family Counts (EFC) Aftercare Program. The Parent-Child Program uses a flexible, module based parent training curriculum with biological parents whose children are currently in foster care. The EFC Aftercare Program provides family-centered services for two years following foster care discharge. In-vivo, ecobehavioral parent training models have been proven to be effective in improving parenting skills and decreasing the likelihood for future child abuse or neglect reports (Lutzker et al., 1998). The Parent-Child Program is based on such a model; however, independent investigation of the program’s effectiveness is limited. Post-reunification services are considered essential to prevent re-entry into foster care (Dougherty, 2004). The EFC Aftercare Program at WIHD aims to guide, support and empower families after returning home from foster-care placement. Both the Parent-Child Program and the EFC Aftercare Program will be evaluated in the current study through the use of a questionnaire and a focus group, respectively. Parent-Child Program  Goal: Teach parents strategies which promote reunification and address broader planning issues  Flexible module-based program  Basic parenting skills (e.g., praise tracking, observation)  Advanced skills (e.g., direction giving and limit setting)  Other topics include nutrition, home safety, daily living skills Every Family Counts Aftercare Program  Goal: Guide, support and empower families after foster care placement  Two-year post-discharge community based program  Progress is monitored using interviews and standardized assessments  Provides a range of therapies, case management, care coordination, community networking and educational advocacy OBJECTIVES  Measure Client Satisfaction with Programs  Assess Perceived Improvement of Family Functioning  Assess Perceived Improvement of Parenting & Other Skills  Inform Program Development RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Qualitative and quantitative results reveal overall positive experiences Parent-Child Program Shorter wait times for evaluation Compensation for time and expenses EFC Aftercare Program Continued case management Support groups for parents and children Support hotline Clarification of program upon referral Compensation for time Positive Experiences Practical Support ProgramStaff Skills Learned Communi- cation skills Parenting Skills Emotional Reg- ulation Inter- personal Skills RESULTS: Focus Group Themes RESULTS: PARENT-CHILD QUESTIONIARRE 2008 Program Participants Questionnaire/Focus Group Participants Participant Response Rate Parent-Child Program 181055.5% EFC Aftercare Program 18Focus group: 4 Phone Interviews: 2 33.3% The majority of participants indicated instruction “helped a lot” in the areas of observation (n=8, 80%), praise (n=8, 80%), giving directions (n=6, 60%), setting limits (n=6, 60%), problem solving with the child (n=7, 70%), and knowledge of child development (n=10, 100%). No participants indicated these skills were “not at all” helpful. Seven participants (70%) said the program was sensitive to their values and customs. Negative Experiences Interference with Daily Obligations Other Systems Psychiatric Services