Foster and Kin Care

Healing the trauma that predisposes youth

offending

Jill Worrall

My Experience

• Foster Parent• Foster Care Social worker• Foster Care Programme Manager• University Lecturer and

Researcher• Board Member Youth Horizons

Trust• Board Member Grandparents

Raising Grandchildren Trust

International Crisis in Care

of troubled children and Youth• Increasing number of children

and young people needing care • Caregivers increasingly difficult

to recruit and retain• Increasingly complex needs of

young people• Need for higher level of caregiver

skill• Increasing costs to maintain care

system.

Consequences of Crisis

• Placements made in terms of expedience

• High level of caregiver burnout and turnover

• Children and young people experiencing multiple placements and peer contamination

• Increasing number of Abuse Allegations against caregivers

• Problem recruiting and maintaining carers

• International move to placing within Family

Current Practice Trends• Inclusive Holistic Foster Care

Models- continuity of family

relationships- parenting education in

foster care- re-integration support –

(pre & post)• Supplemental Care vs Substitute

Care• Focus on Attachment Histories• Therapeutic/Treatment Foster

Care• Flexible discharge dates for

young people.

Current Practice Trends

• Care support responsibility of NGO’s(foster and kin)

• Growth in ‘For-Profit’ agencies• Retainer Fees• Peer supervision and support

projects• Increase in Family care targets

New Zealand Children Young Persons and their Families Act 1989 S208c

• ‘The principle that, any measures for dealing with offending by children and young persons should be designed :

• i) to strengthen the family, whanau, hapu, iwi and family group of the child/young person concerned

• ii) to foster the ability of families, whanau, hapu, iwi and family groups to develop their own means of dealing with offending by their children and young persons

CYF Foster Care Statisticsas at June 2008

Foster Care Kin Care

• Maori 47% (n 406) 53% (n 970)

• Pacific Is 41% (n 47)59% (n 137)

• NZ Pakeha 69% (n 1307 )31% (n 937 )

• (Worrall 2008)

Allegations in Care

• Ohio 1-10 chance – after 5 years 50% chance

• New Zealand – increasing number (NZFFCF report 08).

• Causes– Lack of training– Inadequate carer assessments– Burnout– Over use

Multi-systemic CausalityYouth Offending

• Individual characteristics• Family Characteristics• Peer relations• School Factors• Community Factors• Therefore, A Need for:• Rigorous Family and Child

Assessments Multi-Systemic Treatment Foster Care

Professionalisation

• Tiered Frameworks• Compulsory Education/training• Training currency /making it

count• Younger age set• Shorter duration (3-5 years)• Specific field of care (youth,

disability, fragile infants)• Some philosophical resistance

from NGO’s

Alternative ApproachTiered Structure

Level One

• Standard Care giving Family Assessment

• Compulsory pre-placement Training

• Compulsory Inservice Foster Care Training programme

• Completion of Certificate in Foster Care

• Standard Board Payments• Attendance at Foster Care

Support Group

Level Two

• Completion of Foster Care Certificate

• Enhanced Board Payments according to child’s level of difficulties

• On-going in-service training• Peer Supervision/Group

Supervision• Ability to work with child’s

parents if appropriate

Level Three(Therapeutic Foster Care)

Salaried according to level of expertise

Diploma in Foster Care or higher Board payments according to child’s

needs Intensive on-going training High level of support/supervision Ability to team work with other

professionals (eg therapists, psychologists, teachers).

Ability to implement treatment plans

Ability to work with child’s family –(guardians)

Mentor/trainer of other foster carers

Whanau/Kin Care study(Worrall 2005)

Issues identified by caregivers:• COMMITMENT! -in spite of:• The difficulty of managing the

behaviour of traumatized children

• The difficulties of dealing with the children’s parents particularly those with drug and alcohol dependence.

• The struggle to manage financially when income has decreased and family needs have significantly increased

Research Issues (cont)

• The isolation of the caregivers and alienation from their families, in some instances, and their former social communities and supports.

• The complexities of the legal system and the drain on finances and stress levels when having to achieve legal permanence for the children

• Affect of Age - Weariness and need for respite, day care and after school care.

Web-Site

• The complete report of the GRG study and the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Handbook

• can be downloaded from: www.raisinggrandchildren.org.nz