Interest from Tertiary Educated Persons in Fostering Children with Higher Care Needs under a Professional (Paid) Model Compared with General Foster Care

Abstract

The number of Australian children requiring foster care due to abuse and neglect is increasing, with more children presenting with high care needs, creating a challenge for the recruitment and retention of foster carers. Carers with higher education recruited as professional foster carers may improve placement stability and outcomes for higher needs children. An e-survey was conducted to explore the level of interest of tertiary students in a professional model of fostering children with higher needs. An online survey covering demographic information, knowledge of and attitudes to foster care was completed by 644 university undergraduate and postgraduate students within the faculties of health, education, arts, and the social sciences. Twelve per cent (n = 77) of respondents said “yes” they would be interested in professional foster care; and 16% (n = 105) an interest in general foster care of which 5% (n = 32) said “yes” to both professional foster care and general foster care. Thus, 23% of respondents expressed an interested in some form of foster care. Psychology students were more likely than other students to be interested in professional foster care (27% of respondents). Results give merit to further enquiry into the application of a professional foster care model for higher care needs children requiring out-of-home care.

Keywords:

• Professional Foster Care
• Higher Care Needs Children
• Higher Educated Carers

Acknowledgements

This article was based on project data that partially fulfilled the requirements for Lesley Habel (Braybrook) to achieve her Bachelor of Health Science (Honours) degree. Lesley extends a warm thank you to Professor Leonie Segal for her supervision, and to Liz Westwood, Health Economics and Social Policy Group, University of South Australia, for administrative and editorial support. Thank you also to Professor Helen McCutcheon, Professor Esther May, Associate Professor Kurt Lushington, Associate Professor Michelle Simons, and Associate Professor Adrian Vicary, who acknowledged the importance of the project and supported survey distribution within the relevant schools of The University of South Australia. Finally, thank you to Associate Professor Robyn Clark for providing valuable mentoring.

Notes

¹“General foster care is defined as care for children and young people aged 0-17 years, which is provided on a short or long-term basis by authorised carers in their own homes, or in a home owned or rented by an agency, which is reimbursed for expenses … An authorised carer is a single person or couple authorised as a foster or relative or kinship carer by a designated agency, or the principal officer of a designated agency, or any person authorised according to the regulations” (NSW Department of Community Services, 2007b).

²The 14 responses were: 1. Impact on own family; 2. Financially not enough incentive; 3. Dealing with foster child's direct family would worry me; 4. I don't want to raise someone else's children; 5. I would have trouble letting go once an attachment was made with the child; 6. I am too old; 7. I am too young; 8. Health reasons; 9. Allows me the opportunity to work from home; 10. Allows me the opportunity to raise a family while being a stay at home mum; 11. I want to do something good for society; 12. Financially rewarding; 13. I can't have my own children so fostering is a good alternative for me; 14. I would be interested if there was an option of adopting the child after a given period of time.

³The full survey instrument is reproduced in Braybrook (2010) (nee Habel) and available via correspondence with authors Lesley Habel (LH) or Leonie Segal (LS).