Florida foster parent and child welfare worker perceptions of child maltreatment investigations of foster parents
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21633959 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Morgan E Cooley (0000-0002-5564-9582, Florida Atlantic University, corresponding author), Taylor Dowdy-Hazlett (0000-0002-7544-4672, University of Kentucky), Heather M Thompson (0009-0004-7500-496X, Florida Atlantic University), Jae Markis (Florida Atlantic University), Marianna L Colvin (0000-0002-5357-7415, Florida Atlantic University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 37-51 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-15 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Family Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1052-2158 • E-ISSN: 1540-4072 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10522158.2026.2637645 |
| OpenAlex | W7135222261 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 25 |
Foster parents provide care to children who have experienced high levels of adversity or vulnerability and may experience challenges beyond that of typical parents. The aim of this study was to explore foster parents’ and child welfare workers’ perspectives of foster parent maltreatment investigations with emphasis on comparing the perceived impact of investigation on foster family retention. This cross-sectional sample included retrospective analyses from an administrative survey that included a total of 1249 foster parents and child welfare workers in the state of Florida. Findings indicated that both groups perceive that foster parents will likely face an allegation, with child welfare workers reporting a slightly higher number of allegations than foster parents. However, foster parents reported a greater impact of allegations on the retention of foster parents. Findings from this study provide an incremental contribution to understanding the perceptions of foster parents and case workers on allegations, as well as highlight areas for future research and evaluation. Such findings assist in understanding the needs of foster parents in training and support around allegations and investigations in ways that may assist with retention rates
Foster care · Foster parents · Occupational safety and health · Perception · Welfare · Welfare system · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child Welfare and Adoption · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work
Comparative utility of a single-item versus multiple-item measure of self-efficacy in predicting relapse among young adults
Systematic Review of Factors Affecting Foster Parent Retention
“Foster Care is a Roller Coaster”
Processing the Removal and Managing the Moves or Removals of Foster Children
Foster care placement instability
What makes foster carers think about quitting? Recommendations for improved retention of foster carers
An investigation of foster parent training needs
The worst day of my life’
Peer support for new foster parents
Investigating child maltreatment in out-of-home care
Length of service for foster parents
False allegations and caseworker conflict
Child welfare triage
Are children safer with kin? A comparison of maltreatment risk in out-of-home care
High stress experienced in the foster and kin carer role
Lifetime Prevalence of Investigating Child Maltreatment Among US Children
The trouble with foster care
| Highly cited | No |
|---|