Kentucky Foster Kentucky Foster Care CensusCare Census

The status of safety The status of safety and well-being among and well-being among

Kentucky’s Children Kentucky’s Children

in Out of Home carein Out of Home care

www.trc.eku.edu/fostercare

The CensusThe Census• Initiated Summer 2002Initiated Summer 2002

•100%100% of over 6,000 children of over 6,000 children seen and met in their homesseen and met in their homes

• ProactiveProactive

• Child CenteredChild Centered

Kentucky’s OOHC SystemKentucky’s OOHC System~6,200 children any day~6,200 children any day

Committed to State Committed to State CustodyCustody

State Homes

Private Homes

Residential

Relative

Census of All Children in:Census of All Children in:

•State Approved and Operated State Approved and Operated Foster HomesFoster Homes

•Private Child CarePrivate Child Care– Residential settingsResidential settings– Emergency shelters and Emergency shelters and hospitalshospitals

– Private foster homesPrivate foster homes

•Placed with relativesPlaced with relatives

Essentials of Essentials of Child WellbeingChild Wellbeing

•Cabinet attention and Cabinet attention and advocacyadvocacy

•Supported foster parentsSupported foster parents•Nurturing Family ContactsNurturing Family Contacts•A voice in decisionsA voice in decisions•Services to support needsServices to support needs•Attention to Health & NeedsAttention to Health & Needs•Competence and MasteryCompetence and Mastery

MethodologyMethodology

MeasuresMeasures

• Child Census FormChild Census Form– Indicators of Child WellbeingIndicators of Child Wellbeing– Completed by Agency StaffCompleted by Agency Staff– And Foster Adoptive ParentsAnd Foster Adoptive Parents

• Adult Care Provider Needs Adult Care Provider Needs AssessmentAssessment– Interview worksheet for Census Interview worksheet for Census

takers and Adult Care providers in takers and Adult Care providers in each settingeach setting

AGENCY STAFF

Child Census Form Census Taker Information

Adults in Childs Life Research Faculty

Census TakersAdult Needs Assessment

www.trc.eku.edu

Data Collection

Census Designed by: Census Designed by:

•Foster adoptive parents Foster adoptive parents •Agency and Residential staffAgency and Residential staff•State Regional staff State Regional staff •University Training ConsortiumUniversity Training Consortium•StudentsStudents•Cabinet StaffCabinet Staff•University FacultyUniversity Faculty•EKU Training Resource CenterEKU Training Resource Center•Nine Research Review BoardsNine Research Review Boards

MethodologyMethodology• Statewide effort: student census-Statewide effort: student census-

takers enrolled in special classestakers enrolled in special classes

• Data collectors -Data collectors -– sensitive to the needs of people sensitive to the needs of people

and children in careand children in care– external to the Cabinetexternal to the Cabinet

• Form a statewide research/learning Form a statewide research/learning paradigm paradigm

• Cabinet and 8 public universitiesCabinet and 8 public universities• University Training ConsortiumUniversity Training Consortium

Profiles in Permanency: Profiles in Permanency: Implications for Implications for

Concurrent PlanningConcurrent Planning

Ruth A. Huebner, PhDRuth A. Huebner, PhD

Viola Miller, EdDViola Miller, EdD

Bonnie Hommrich, MSWBonnie Hommrich, MSW

Months in Care Months in Care by Goal and Foster Homeby Goal and Foster Home

0.3

10.3

20.3

30.3

40.3

50.3

60.3

70.3

0-5 yrs 6-11 yrs 12-18 yrs

DCBS Return DCBS Adopt PCC Return PCC Adopt

Percent of OOHC Time Percent of OOHC Time in Current Homein Current Home

0.3

0.40.5

0.6

0.7

0.80.9

1

0-5 yrs 6-11 yrs 12-18 yrs

DCBS return PCC returnDCBS adopt PCC Adopt

Child CharacteristicsChild CharacteristicsDifferences between Differences between

Adoption and Return to Adoption and Return to ParentParent

Concurrent Planning

Child Special NeedsChild Special NeedsNeed PCC

RTPDCBSRTP

PCCAdopt

DCBSAdopt

IEP 41% 26% 62% 33%

Phys.Disab.

9% 9% 18% 10%

Emotional 54% 41% 71% 49%

Numberof Needs

1.5 1.3 2.4 1.5

Overall Child Functioning Overall Child Functioning

(below, at, above age (below, at, above age level)level)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Adopt Return to Parent

Below Average Above

Parent perception of Parent perception of child strengths by goalchild strengths by goal

• AdoptionAdoption• Special physical Special physical

or athletic or athletic abilities (57%)abilities (57%)

• Focused interests Focused interests or hobbies (54%)or hobbies (54%)

• Return to ParentReturn to Parent• Takes charge of Takes charge of

their own life their own life (65%)(65%)

• Optimistic (59%)Optimistic (59%)

• Easy going (58%)Easy going (58%)

• Consistent family Consistent family involvement (64%)involvement (64%)

• Good problem Good problem solving (59%)solving (59%)

Services Adequate Services Adequate to Meet Needsto Meet Needs

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Poor Consistent

Adopt RTP

• Foster Parents of Foster Parents of Children with Goals Children with Goals of Adoption are of Adoption are significantly more significantly more likely to say that likely to say that services are poor services are poor and less likely to and less likely to say that services say that services are consistent.are consistent.

Service Array and Foster Service Array and Foster Parent Needs by GoalParent Needs by Goal

•ADOPTIONADOPTION• Independent Independent

Living ProgramsLiving Programs

• After School After School ProgramsPrograms

• Activities to be Activities to be involved with involved with peerspeers

•RET. TO PAR.RET. TO PAR.• Support NetworkSupport Network

• Classes for birth Classes for birth children in the children in the familyfamily

• Communication Communication with other foster with other foster parentsparents

Foster Parent Foster Parent Perceptions of Visits to Perceptions of Visits to

Biological ParentsBiological Parents

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

5

Adopt Return to parent

ImportanceComfortSkills

AGE at Placement

Number ofMoves

Voice in Care

Structural Models

Vulnerability

OOHC Practices

Resilience

Speed ofPermanency

Placement and StabilityPlacement and Stability• There are few differences in months in There are few differences in months in

care by goal for young children, but not care by goal for young children, but not for older children. for older children.

• 12-18 Y/O children in Private foster 12-18 Y/O children in Private foster homes with a goal of adoption have been homes with a goal of adoption have been in care on average for nearly 5 yearsin care on average for nearly 5 years

• 6-11 year olds in DCBS homes have been 6-11 year olds in DCBS homes have been in their current home for shorter times. in their current home for shorter times.

• Children in PCC foster home with goal of Children in PCC foster home with goal of adoption have been in home least timeadoption have been in home least time

Children with Goal of Children with Goal of AdoptionAdoption

• Have higher rates of special needs Have higher rates of special needs especially in the private foster homesespecially in the private foster homes

• Are more likely to function below age level Are more likely to function below age level is some or all skillsis some or all skills

• Are more likely to be perceived as having Are more likely to be perceived as having strengths in skills and competencies strengths in skills and competencies rather than personality traitsrather than personality traits

• Have foster parents who want more Have foster parents who want more services for the childservices for the child

Needs of Foster ParentsNeeds of Foster Parents

• Foster parents of children with Foster parents of children with Return to Parent goals want more Return to Parent goals want more support for themselves and their own support for themselves and their own birth parents. birth parents.

• Foster parents of children with goals Foster parents of children with goals of adoption want more services for of adoption want more services for the foster childthe foster child

Foster Parent Skills for Foster Parent Skills for Concurrent PlanningConcurrent Planning

Foster Parents have the Foster Parents have the same rating of their same rating of their comfort, skills, and comfort, skills, and

importance of visits to importance of visits to biological parents biological parents

regardless of the goalregardless of the goal

Structural FactorsStructural Factors• Child characteristics and experiences in Child characteristics and experiences in

the system, especially age at placement the system, especially age at placement and time in care constitute a and time in care constitute a fundamental vulnerability or protective fundamental vulnerability or protective factor.factor.

• Agencies practices such as moving Agencies practices such as moving children and allowing children a voice in children and allowing children a voice in their care are associated with different their care are associated with different levels of resilience and permanency levels of resilience and permanency planning.planning.

ImplicationsImplications

• Foster parents have the basic skills Foster parents have the basic skills to support children in visits to to support children in visits to biological parents, but need biological parents, but need support through the processsupport through the process

• Foster parents of children with a Foster parents of children with a return to parent goal need much return to parent goal need much more support for themselves and more support for themselves and their family - losing children is hard their family - losing children is hard on the familyon the family

Children in Private Children in Private Foster HomesFoster Homes

• Have more special needsHave more special needs

• Have been in care longerHave been in care longer

• Have experienced less stability in careHave experienced less stability in care

• Function at a lower levelFunction at a lower level

• Need more supportsNeed more supports

• Are olderAre older

• This profile suggests that these children This profile suggests that these children will be more difficult to find permanent will be more difficult to find permanent adoptive homesadoptive homes

To achieve CFSR standardsTo achieve CFSR standards• Compare the actual rates of adoption in PCC Compare the actual rates of adoption in PCC

and DCBS. Are these equal?and DCBS. Are these equal?

• Are we changing goal to adoption with little Are we changing goal to adoption with little hope for adoption?hope for adoption?

• Raises the question of why children in care for Raises the question of why children in care for longer periods have such higher rates of longer periods have such higher rates of special needspecial need

• Concurrent planning and supports to foster Concurrent planning and supports to foster parents will be different across time and parents will be different across time and settingsetting

National TeleconferenceNational Teleconference

Foster Kids Count:Foster Kids Count:

Nurturing Well-Being for Youth Nurturing Well-Being for Youth in Out-of-Home Carein Out-of-Home Care

November 18, 2003

www.trc.eku.edu/fostercare