Out of Home Care Standards in Canada,

Ireland and the United Kingdom

Iain Matheson (Wellington, New Zealand)

Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Conference

2-4 August, 2010

Sydney, Australia

Presentation Overview

Three contexts

Findings from international research into foster care

standards

Discussion of some issues in relation to the UK, Canada,

and Ireland:

OOHC system

Sets of foster care and residential care standards

Key features of standards

Context One

Matheson, I. (2009). Foster care standards: A four country

study. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Child and

Foster Care Federation.

Selection of Aus., Can., Ire. and UK

Mixed methods approach

Literature review

Analysis of 31 sets of standards in 18 jurisdictions

38 telephone interviews across 12 jurisdictions

Sampling

Jurisdictions - national/state/provincial/territorial

Context Two

Quality4Children standards for out-of-home child care in

Europe

Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children (formerly

UN Guidelines for the Appropriate Use and Conditions of

Alternative Care for Children)

National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children

2009-2020 and development of National Standards for

Out of Home Care

Context Three

standard /'stænded/ n. & adj. —n. 1 an object or quality or measure serving as a basis or example

or principle to which others conform or should conform or by which the accuracy or quality of others

is judged (by present-day standards). 2 a the degree of excellence etc. required for a particular

purpose (not up to standard), b average quality (of a low standard). 3 the ordinary procedure, or

quality or design of a product, without added or novel features. 4 a distinctive flag, esp. the flag

of a cavalry regiment as distinct from the colours of an infantry regiment. 5 a an upright support, b

an upright water or gas pipe. 6 a a tree or shrub that stands alone without support. b a shrub grafted

on an upright stem and trained in tree form (standard rose). 7 a document specifying nationally or

internationally agreed properties for manufactured goods etc. (British Standard). 8 a thing

recognized as a model for imitation etc. 9 a tune or song of established popularity. 10 a system by

which the value of a currency is denned in terms of gold or silver or both. b the prescribed proportion

of the weight of fine metal in gold or silver coins. 11 a measure for timber, equivalent to 165 cu. ft.

(4.7 cubic metres). 12 Brit. hist. a grade of classification in elementary schools, — adj. 1 serving or

used as a standard (a standard size). 2 of a normal or prescribed quality or size etc. 3 having

recognized and permanent value; authoritative (the standard book on the subject). 4 (of language)

conforming to established educated usage (Standard English). multiple standard a standard of

value obtained by averaging the prices of a number of products. raise a standard take up arms; rally

support (raised the standard of revolt), standard-bearer 1 a soldier who carries a standard. 2 a

prominent leader in a cause (Oxford English Dictionary).

Foster Care Standards: A Four Country Study

Findings

1: Almost all jurisdictions in the study had published

foster care standards - some had more than one set.

2: In most jurisdictions, the publishing of sets of foster

care standards was a very recent development.

3: There were considerable differences across the sets

of standards.

4: The context in each jurisdiction was critically

important to how the standards were shaped.

Foster Care Standards: A Four Country Study

Findings...continued

5: Six types of standards identified:

Best Practice

Expected Practice

Minimum Practice

Practice Principles

Ambiguous

Mixed.

6: Interviewees saw standards as a positive development but...

UK OOHC Systems

• England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

• Local authorities provide care and also purchase from NGOs

and a large private sector

• Very strong central government involvement

• Some current practice and policy issues

– Professionalisation of foster care

– Kin care levels traditionally low but growing fast in some areas

– Strong ‘current’ focus upon integrated working, leaving care and

education

– Rights of children and young people

– Current budget cuts

UK Standards• First Key standards in leaving care, 1996 (England & Wales)

• UK national standards for foster care, 1999 (UK)

• National care standards: Foster care and family placement services, 2002 (England)

• Children’s Homes: National Minimum Standards. Children's

Homes Regulations, 2002 (England)

• Fostering services: National minimum standards of foster care, 2003 (Wales)

• National care standards: Foster care and family placement services, 2005 (Scotland)

• National standards in leaving care, 2007 (England)

• Training, support & development standards for foster care, 2007 (England)

• National care standards: care homes for children and young people, 2005 (Scotland)

Characteristics of UK Standards

• Wide range and mix

• Includes statutory standards and comprehensive registration

and inspection regime

• Different bodies in each country, e.g. the Office for Standards

in Education, Children's Services and Skills (England)

• Statutory standards are minimum standards although grading

systems have recently been introduced (England, Scotland)

• Statutory foster care standards focus upon the fostering service

as an organisation – written in first person to children/young

people and foster carers (Scotland)

• UK national standards for foster care (1999) still in use?

Republic of Ireland OOHS System

• Recently re-structured

• Care delivered by central government (Health Services

Executive), NGO sector and a very small private sector

• Central government (HIQA) inspects residential facilities and

fostering services

• Historically more reliant on residential care

• Some current practice and policy issues

– The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Ryan report)

– Budgets

– Kin care

– Asylum seekers

Republic of Ireland Standards

National Standards for Children's Residential Centres (2001)

National standards for special care units (n.d.)

National minimum standards for fostering services (2003)

Draft national quality standards for residential and foster care

services for children and young people (2010)

Characteristics of Republic of Ireland Standards

• Current (2003) fostering standards have a lot of strengths but

there were some implementation issues

• New draft standards have integrated residential and foster care

• New draft standards strike a balance between articulating high

level standards and outcomes, and providing clear, detailed

and substantive criteria

• Awaiting outcome of the consultation exercise

Canadian OOHC Systems

• 13 Provinces and Territories – significant diversity

• Care delivered by Ministries/Depts., Health Boards, Children’s

Aid Societies and First Nations agencies

• Very limited Central government role in OOHC

• Strong role for third party accreditation bodies for residential

and foster care

• Some current practice and policy issues

– Professionalisation of foster care

– Growth in kin care

– Foster family recruitment

– Care of aboriginal children and young people

Canadian Standards

Standards of Excellence for Family Foster Care Services,

1995 (CWLA)

Provincial and territorial standards - various

External accreditation standards (including):

• Canadian Accreditation Council accreditation process &

standards manual, (2008)

• Council on Accreditation standards, (2010)

Characteristics of Standards

Provincial foster care standards tend to:

– Have developed incrementally and be relatively ‘low key’

– be integrated into the government organisation

– foster family practise management tools and

– have limited aggregated monitoring and reporting in place

External accreditation

– Includes Council on Accreditation and Canadian Accreditation Council

– British Columbia and Alberta require that any agency contracted by

the government to offer services to children be accredited

Others

– Licensing standards

– Residential complaint standards, for example as developed by the

Office of the Child and Youth Advocate in Ontario

Ten Personal Thoughts on Good OOHC

Standards

1: The purpose is clear and the

standards are consistent with this

stated purpose.

2: Part of a package of integrated

measures.

3: Indigenous children central.

4: Develop collaboratively.

5: Recognise some differences

between residential and foster

care and also foster care and kin

care.

6: Include aftercare.

7: Support with funding and

associated infrastructure.

8: Clear logic model and

monitoring/evaluation

framework.

9: Build upon our evidence base

and what we know as

practitioners, managers and

researchers.

10: Don’t duck the hard issues

e.g. relationships and warmth.

Thanks!

For further information, a copy of this presentation or a copy

of Foster care standards: A four country, please contact

Iain Matheson at iain@mathesonassociates.co.nz