Transcript But Grandma you might die…..

Foster and Kin Care
Healing the trauma that
predisposes youth offending
Jill Worrall
My Experience
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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 Statistics
as 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
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Lack of training
Inadequate carer assessments
Burnout
Over use
Multi-systemic Causality
Youth Offending
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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
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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 Approach
Tiered Structure
Level 3
Hi needs
Level 2
Medium Term
Therapeutic as needed
Level 1
Low level of difficulty
Short-term, respite.
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)
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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