Identifying and Attracting Exceptional Foster Carers : Preliminary Insights

1. Identifying and Attracting Exceptional Foster Carers: Preliminary Insights Melanie Randle, Leonie Miller & Sara Dolnicar, University of Wollongong Joseph Ciarrochi, University of Western Sydney Chris Stubbs & Lisa Loveday, CareSouth 21 August 2012

2. Acknowledgements • Funding: Australian Research Council Linkage Grant Scheme • Industry partner: CareSouth • Collaborating partners: • CatholicCare/Centacare • William Campbell Foundation • Marymead • St Joseph’s Cowper • Mallee Family Care • Youthcare UPA • Anglicare • Stretch-a-family

3. Background • Importance of carers in high quality outcomes for foster children • Matching needs of child to skills of carer • Most agencies facing the challenge of attracting sufficient, and high-quality, foster carers • Until now community-wide, generic calls for foster carers • Value of applying marketing concepts to address the problem of recruitment

4. Foster carer research • Most research from perspective of child welfare, social work • Focus on children, outcomes • Most attempts to describe foster carers group them together as one homogeneous group • no consideration of quality • not split by role – despite evidence of differences (e.g. Social Role Theory) • no comparison with other groups • If we knew which types of people make exceptional carers we could target them specifically with marketing and communications strategies

5. Prior research • Programme of foster care research • Qualitative investigation • Interviews with foster care experts, carers, biological families, psychologists • Model of foster placement success: factors relating to the child, the agency and the carer

6. Research aims • Identify differences in the types of individuals who make exceptional foster carers • Personal characteristics • Factors relating to the placement • Motivations • Identify strategies most likely to attract them • Key messages • Communications channels • System factors

7. Data collection • Sample • current foster carers with a range of agencies; and • their caseworkers • Fieldwork conducted May-August 2011 • carers: online or paper version (50-60 minutes) • caseworkers: online (5-10 minutes) • Recruitment • approached numerous foster care agencies requesting support • agency invited carers to participate • carers and caseworkers gave individual consent

8. Measures • Carers questionnaire • experience history: number of placements, years caring etc. • motivations: list of 28 reasons • sense of competence: self efficacy, satisfaction with caring • context: family/social support, parenting style, family coping • personal characteristics • psychological measures • hope, problem solving, forgiveness, coping, empathy, life satisfaction, faith • pre-developed, validated scales • socio-demographics • age, sex, income, education, employment status, relationship status • mostly consistent with ABS measures • media usage

9. Measures • Caseworkers questionnaire • casework experience/history • perceived behaviour/needs of child • single item measures of carer psychological measures • perceived match and relationship quality • foster carer efficacy • overall assessment of carer

10. Measures • Caseworkers questionnaire • casework experience/history • perceived behaviour/needs of child • single item measures of carer psychological measures • perceived match and relationship quality • foster carer efficacy • overall assessment of carer • Overall, and considering all of the foster carers you know/have known, which of the following best describes [Carer Name] as a foster carer? • Extremely good, one of the best I have known • Very good • Average • Not very good • Extremely bad, one of the worst I have known

11. Analysis • Caseworker ratings of carer quality used to define • exceptional carers and others • examined females and males separately • Questionnaire measures examined for differences between groups • caseworker ratings on other aspects of carer role • carer self-report measures • Results reported are significant at the 1% level • trends are reported at the 2% level

12. Sample description • Who are the carers? • Females (71) • 51 partnered, 20 single or not cohabitating with partner • all but one are the primary carer • mean age 48.10 • average foster caring for 6.12 yrs • prefer long-term placements (61/71) • median 3 placements • Males (46) • all partnered • none primary carer, one shares the primary role • mean age 49.15 yrs • average foster caring for 6.76 yrs • prefer long-term placements (35/46) • median 3 placements • Note: 38 couples within the data set (1 divorced sharing placement)

13. Sample description • Who are the caseworkers? • 34 caseworkers • average experience 2.34 years (range 6 weeks – more than 10 years) • rated 59 placements within the carer set • average 1.74 placements per caseworker (range 1-5) • average time case-managing placement 1.16 years (range 1 month – 4.5 years) • caseworker ratings obtained for • 37 placements with both male and female carers • 22 other placements • 8 other placements with male and female carers where • female carer rated only 7 • male carer rated only 1 • 14 placements with a single carer (or in non-cohabitating relationship) • female carer 14

14. Sample description Who are the agencies? William Campbell Foundation (7) Marymead Foster Care (19) St Joseph’s Cowper (2) Mallee Family Care (1) Youthcare UPA Lismore (2) Anglicare South Coast (1) Stretch-a-family (1) • CareSouth Wollongong (19) • CareSouthNowra (14) • CatholicCare Wollongong (20) • CatholicCareCampbelltown (3) • CentacareBroken Bay (4) • CatholicCareBankstown (3)

15. Sample description • Placement characteristics • 30 females, 29 males • average age of child in care 9.84 years (range 3 months – 18 years) • average placement length 2.88 years (range < 4 weeks – 14.5 years) • ethnic background • 9 Aboriginal, 46 Australian , 1 Croatian , 1 English, 2 Filipino • average behaviour relative to typical children of same age* (1 – extremely challenging to 4 – less challenging than average) • 2.75 (between average and challenging) (range 1-4) * Rated by caseworker

16. Sample description • Placement characteristics • average needs relative to typical children of same age* (1 – very high to 5 – very low) • 2.66 (between high and average) (range 1-5) • 49 cases without disability • 1 case with physical disability • 6 cases intellectual/emotional disability • 2 cases both physical and intellectual/emotional • number of placements (including current placement) • 3.19 (range 1- >20) * Rated by caseworker

17. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? (females) • Personal characteristics Self-ratings Emotions: when upset feel out of ↓ control* Relationships: love for partner ↑ Parenting: don’t think of as ↓ responsible for telling children what to do* Family coping: post-problem solving ↓ discussions with family* Caseworker ratings Psychological characteristics - empathy ↑ - happiness ↑ - forgiveness* ↑ - optimism ↑ - problem solving ↑ - life satisfaction ↑ Good relationships - partner/spouse ↑ - family ↑ Parenting: flexible ↑ * trend only Green text: differences from males

18. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? (males) • Personal characteristics Self-ratings Empathy: not usually aware of ↓ friends feelings* Forgiveness: justice more important ↓ than mercy Social support - special person who cares ↑ about my feelings - can talk about problems ↑ with my friends Caseworker ratings Psychological characteristics - empathy ↑ - happiness ↑ - optimism ↑ - problem solving ↑ Social support - family and friends ↑ Socio-demographics Education level ↑ * trend only Green text: differences from females

19. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? (females) • Factors relating to foster caring Self-ratings Match with the child ↑ Child - closeness with child↑ - values relationship with me ↑ See role more like a parent ↑ Support from other foster carers* ↑ Satisfaction - with allowance received ↑ - with relationship with agency ↑ - with caseworker assistance* ↑ Caseworker ratings Match with the child ↑ Relationship with child - affectionate and warm ↑ - healthy relationship* ↑ Able to cope with problems/challenges ↑ * trend only Green text: differences from males

20. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? (males) • Factors relating to foster caring Self-ratings Match with the child ↑ Foster child - many fears or easily scared ↓ - seeks comfort from me ↑when upset* - uncomfortable with ↓ physical attention/touch* - behavioural/emotional issues ↓ Agency - training opportunities ↑ - relationship with agency ↑ Caseworker ratings Match with the child ↑ Relationship with child - affectionate and warm ↑ - healthy relationship* ↑ Psychological characteristics - able to cope with problems/challenges ↑ - confidence as a carer* ↑ Satisfaction in role as carer ↑ * trend only Green text: differences from females

21. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? • Motivations: classifications 1. Foster care is something I can choose to be a part of It gives me the chance to help a child in need To give something back to society It will give me the chance to contribute to my community I am a foster carer instead of having a paid job Because of the payment I receive for being a carer It allows me to stay at home whilst still earning money Because foster care is such a big problem and I want to help solve it

22. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? • Motivations: classifications 1. Foster care is something I can choose to be a part of It gives me the chance to help a child in need To give something back to society It will give me the chance to contribute to my community I am a foster carer instead of having a paid job Because of the payment I receive for being a carer It allows me to stay at home whilst still earning money Because foster care is such a big problem and I want to help solve it 2. I feel I should be involved with foster care There is no one else to take care of the child I feel I should help those less fortunate than myself

23. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? • Motivations: classifications 3. I am suited to the role of foster carer Because I was a foster child and I want to help other foster children Because I had a difficult childhood and I want to help another child experiencing similar difficulty I do not have any children of my own My own children are grown and have left home I think I have the skills to do a good job I want to have children but cannot have any of my own A foster child is a good companion for me Having a foster child helps solve the problems in my relationship A foster child helps me out around the house It helps my financial situation I knew the children before they were in foster care A foster child provides company for my own child 1. Foster care is something I can choose to be a part of It gives me the chance to help a child in need To give something back to society It will give me the chance to contribute to my community I am a foster carer instead of having a paid job Because of the payment I receive for being a carer It allows me to stay at home whilst still earning money Because foster care is such a big problem and I want to help solve it 2. I feel I should be involved with foster care There is no one else to take care of the child I feel I should help those less fortunate than myself

24. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? • Motivations: classifications 3. I am suited to the role of foster carer Because I was a foster child and I want to help other foster children Because I had a difficult childhood and I want to help another child experiencing similar difficulty I do not have any children of my own My own children are grown and have left home I think I have the skills to do a good job I want to have children but cannot have any of my own A foster child is a good companion for me Having a foster child helps solve the problems in my relationship A foster child helps me out around the house It helps my financial situation I knew the children before they were in foster care A foster child provides company for my own child 1. Foster care is something I can choose to be a part of It gives me the chance to help a child in need To give something back to society It will give me the chance to contribute to my community I am a foster carer instead of having a paid job Because of the payment I receive for being a carer It allows me to stay at home whilst still earning money Because foster care is such a big problem and I want to help solve it 2. I feel I should be involved with foster care There is no one else to take care of the child I feel I should help those less fortunate than myself 4. Being a foster carer helps me express who I am I want to help children get a better start in life I want to save a child from a bad future I think I can change a child’s life for the better Because I feel sorry for these children who are born into bad situations It is a very satisfying and rewarding thing to do It keeps me young at heart I genuinely enjoy being with children

25. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? • Motivations – all carers

26. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? • Motivations – exceptional carers

27. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? I want to help children get a better start in life I think I can change a child’s life for the better • Motivations – exceptional carers It is a very satisfying and rewarding thing to do

28. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? I want to help children get a better start in life I think I can change a child’s life for the better • Motivations – exceptional carers It is a very satisfying and rewarding thing to do I want to have children but cannot have any of my own I think I have the skills to do a good job

29. 1. Who are the exceptional carers? I want to help children get a better start in life I think I can change a child’s life for the better • Motivations – exceptional carers It is a very satisfying and rewarding thing to do I want to have children but cannot have any of my own It gives me the chance to help a child in need I think I have the skills to do a good job]

30. 2. How do we attract them? • Females Profile Age: 46.35 (range 33-58) Experience: 3.81 years (range 0.75-12.5) Education: average approx Certificate level (range below yr10-post grad) Household income: average $62K-$88K (range $26K-$224K+) Home ownership: most own home Communication channels Radio: 6-9am, mostly in the car, easy listening/top 40 pop radio TV: 6-9pm, WIN/Prime/ABC Internet: email, social networking, planning/booking holidays System factors Agency relationship/support Support from other carers

31. 2. How do we attract them? • Females Motivating communications Key messages - express who I am: emphasise the difference foster carers can make in the lives of foster children; personally satisfying and rewarding role - suited to the role: reassurance of having the skills to do a good job - choose foster care: this is your chance to help Imagery - good relationships with partner/family - happiness/optimism/life satisfaction - close/affectionate relationship with child

32. 2. How do we attract them? • Males Profile Age: 44.13 (range 33-53) Experience: 4.38 years (range 0.75-9.5) Education: average Bachelor’s degree (range Certificate-post grad) Household income: average $88K-$129K (range $42K-$224K+) Home ownership: most own home Communication channels Radio: 6-9am, mostly in the car, news/current affairs/talkback TV: 6-9pm, WIN/Prime/ABC Internet: email, news/current affairs, internet banking, online education System factors Training opportunities

33. 2. How do we attract them? • Males Motivating communications Key messages - express who I am: helping children get a better start to life, changing a child’s life for the better - suited to the role: ability to relate to foster children’s situations Imagery - social support: friends, partner – can talk about feelings - confidence in role as carer - satisfied with role as carer - comforting role as foster carer - affectionate/warm relationship with child

34. Key findings • Value in segmenting the market of foster carers to customise and target marketing efforts • Are differences in the characteristics of exceptional male and female carers • Where there is a partner relationship there is a high correlation between male and female carers • Communications with different messages are likely to be more or less meaningful and motivating • Different channels are likely to reach males and females

35. Limitations and future research • Limitations • sample size • recruitment method – possible bias towards good carers, carers with good relationship with agency • carers in the sample are generally rated highly by caseworkers • Future research • longitudinal study of carers/caseworkers • other measures of “exceptional” carers • predictors of placement breakdown • single versus partnered carers

36. Thank you. Questions?