Oh What a Difference a “Good” Worker Can Make. Fostering Children with Complex Medical Needs
A Phenomenological Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11215063 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Heather Lassmann (Social Work Department at Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 191-204 |
| Publication date | 2023-03-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Social Service Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0148-8376 • E-ISSN: 1540-7314 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/01488376.2023.2216216 |
| OpenAlex | W4379011105 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 50 |
Foster parents receive training to prepare them for managing the various behaviors foster children may exhibit, but it may not prepare them to care for children with complex medical needs. This study sought to understand the lived experiences of foster parents who care for a child with complex medical needs. Using a phenomenological approach, a sample of eight foster parents were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Foster parents indicated they felt supported by their assigned workers, but many foster parents experienced problems with the workers assigned to their foster children. Findings indicate the need for increased supports and services for foster parents, and a need for children’s workers to receive more training to increase their knowledge of how to support children with disabilities, as well as their foster parents. Future research should focus on the specific needs of workers, including training on issues related to children with disabilities as well as the types of supports these children need, and ways to better support foster parents who care for children with complex medical needs
Developmental psychology · Focus group · Foster care · Foster parents · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Medical education · Qualitative research · Adolescent and Pediatric Healthcare · Child Welfare and Adoption · Family and Disability Support Research · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology
A Dance Between the Reduction and Reflexivity
Maltreatment and disabilities
Placement disruption in foster care
Predictors of Placement Moves Among Children With and Without Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
The Needs of Foster Parents
Research design
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Developing an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach to Focus Group Data
Multiperspectival designs and processes in interpretative phenomenological analysis research
What can agencies do to increase foster carer satisfaction
What makes foster carers think about quitting? Recommendations for improved retention of foster carers
Foster carer perceptions of support and training in the context of high burden of care
Therapeutic Interventions for Foster Children
Foster parents' needs, perceptions and satisfaction with foster parent training
Predictors of foster care exits to permanency
Children with disabilities
Permanency and placement planning for older youth with disabilities in out-of-home placement
Prevalence of children with disabilities in the child welfare system and out of home placement
Pathways in substitute care
Predictors of children in foster care being adopted
Is the overrepresentation of the poor in child welfare caseloads due to bias or need
False allegations and caseworker conflict
Reaching everyone
Youth with disabilities in the United States Child Welfare System
Foster parent parenting characteristics that lead to increased placement stability or disruption
Communication patterns between foster parents and case managers
Out-of-home placement for young children with developmental and medical conditions
Should I stay or should I go? A mixed methods study examining the factors influencing foster parents' decisions to continue or discontinue providing foster care
Predictors of successful permanency planning and length of stay in foster care
Vital Few and Useful Many foster families from start to finish
Risk, resilience, and complexity
Job burnout and affective wellbeing
Foster Carer Strain and its Impact on Parenting and Placement Outcomes for Adolescents
The trouble with foster care
The Reunification Process in Substitute Care
Qualitative inquiry and research design
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |