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Kathleen Jones, Ph.D., RSW West Region Child and Family Services

Maintaining a Long Term Commitment to Children in Care: Factors that Influence the Continued Capacity of Foster Parents who are Raising Children with FAS/FAE in Rural and Reserve Environments. Kathleen Jones, Ph.D., RSW West Region Child and Family Services.

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Kathleen Jones, Ph.D., RSW West Region Child and Family Services

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  1. Maintaining a Long Term Commitment to Children in Care: Factors that Influence the Continued Capacity of Foster Parents who are Raising Children with FAS/FAE in Rural and Reserve Environments • Kathleen Jones,Ph.D., RSW • West Region Child and Family Services

  2. West Region Child and Family Services • Keeseekowenin First Nations • Waywayseecappo First Nations • Gambler First Nations • Ebb and Flow First Nations • Rolling River First Nations • Crane River First Nations • Skownan First Nations • Pine Creek First Nations • Valley River First Nations

  3. West Region Child and Family ServicesAssets of the Agency • Family Resource Centre in most communities • Community worker in each community • Block Funding formula • Most staff are aboriginal many community members • Most staff have BSW, some working on MSW • Support from Leadership • Commitment to creative practice among staff

  4. West Region CFS-FASD Program Support to Families -Family Centred Diagnostic Program (Diagnosis) -Parent Advocacy (Training) -Community Based Support Building a Healthy Community -Workshops (Training) -Reclaiming our Voices (Prevention) -Women’s Lodge (Prevention) West North Physical Mental Parents Community South East Social Emotional Professionals The child Supports to Children -Case planning support (Support to Families) -Referrals for diagnosis (Diagnosis) -Long term planning (Support to Families) Supports to Professionals -Consulting (Training) -Specialized Programming -Partnerships with community programs

  5. The Gift of the Child with FASDTraditional teachings tell us that children with FASD are a special gift from the creator Each child comes into a family with their own special role in the family and the community. Children may be brought into the world to take on leadership roles. They may be entrusted with the responsibility to nurture and support others. They may be placed on Turtle Island to help the community struggle with imbalances due to addictions, poverty and difficult life circumstances. Our role, as caring community members, is to find, understand, and recognize the gifts in all of our children.

  6. West Region Child and Family Services Goals of the FASD Program • Reduction of children born with FASD • Reduction of children coming into care • Increase the capacity of families and caregivers caring for children with FASD • Increase supports for children with FASD in the school and community • Increased support to children with FASD in and out of care • Reduction of unplanned moves for children with FASD

  7. Purpose of the Study • To explore all of the personal, relational, and situational factors that influence the capacity of foster parents to maintain a stable and nurturing environment for their foster children with FAS/FAE

  8. Context to the Study • Children born with FAS/FAE experience a range of disabilities that compromise their intellectual, physical, social-emotional, and behavioural capacities. (Streissguth, 1992, Barth, 1991) • Children with FASD are 2.1 times more likely to face emotional/physical abuse early in life • Families living in rural environments have fewer professional services than families in urban environments (Trute, Adkins, & McDonald, 1994)

  9. Context to the Study • 90% of all FAS/FAE children have had some involvement with child protection services by their 5th birthday(Jones, McClullough and Dewoody, 1992) • 80% of children with FAS/FAE are living in alternative care settings (foster care) (Stratton, Howe, Battaglia,1996) • Children with FASD stay in Foster homes longer, are the most likely to face multiple home placements and the least likely to be adopted • A Manitoba study showed that at least 20% of children with FAS/FAE ‘in care’ have experienced more than 9 placements in their childhood.(Children and Youth Secretariat, 1998)

  10. Context to the Study • 80% of children with FAS/FAE who enter the Child Welfare system do not return home. (Besharow and Boehler, 1994) • Living in a stable, nurturing home for over 72% of life is a universal protective factor in reducing poor outcomes in adults with FAS/FAE (Streissguth, Barr, Kogan, & Bookstein, 1997)

  11. Study Methodology • A qualitative, multiple case study methodology “an inquiring process of understanding a social or human problem based on building a complex, holistic picture, formed with words, reporting detailed views of informants and conducted in a naturalistic setting” (Cresswell, 1994, pg. 1)

  12. Study Methodology Collective Case Study Approach • Intensive interviews (4-6 hours) • Field Notes • File review of ‘child file’

  13. Study Methodology-Subject Selection • Study of eight foster families representing 14 children with FAS/FAE ranging in age from 3-17. • Fostering for longer than 5 years • All fostered for same FN-CFS agency • 4 families living in rural environments • 4 families living in reserve environments

  14. Employing an Ecological Framework • The ecology of human development involves the scientific study of the progressive, mutual accommodation between an active, growing human being and the changing properties of the immediate settings in which the developing person lives, as this process is affected by the relations between these settings, and by the larger contexts in which the settings are embedded(Bronfenbrenner, 1979, pg 21)

  15. An Ecological Framework The Child The Family The Family The Child The School & Community Child Welfare Supports The School & Community

  16. Domain One: The Complex Child “ My sister-in-law has children with FAS and it’s so visible. My kids seem so normal” • Problems with Emotional Reciprocity Aggression Hyperactivity Stubborn Social Skill Concerns Poor Memory Physical/Medical Needs Sleep disorders

  17. Domain Two: Family Commitment • High level of stability in families • marriage strengthened • child/family focused • High reliance on family and friends • All saw relationship with child as exclusive • High level of commitment to culture among ‘on reserve’ families • Gendered Parenting

  18. Domain Three: The Community as Support • Generally low level of professional supports, preference for family support • Rural families saw ‘community’ as a safe place to raise children • Reserve based families saw ‘community as a place to maintain cultural connections

  19. Domain Three: The School as Support • High level of frustration with schools • The ability to ‘read’ seen as important indicator of academic success • Recognition of the role of the school as a community resource in rural/reserve areas • General need for supports targeted to teenagers- problems in school linked to delinquent behaviour

  20. Domain Four: Child Welfare Support • Desire for workers that are committed to family (not always ‘child specific’ focus) • Families appreciated the contact, wanted better working relationship with worker • Problems with philosophic underpinnings of foster care and fostering

  21. Linking the Domains:An Ecological Approach • Families appeared to be able to support children in home but harder in community • Lack of early intervention/support led to problems in adolescence-Particularly for children living away from their culture • Children that had difficulty with emotional reciprocity/aggression appeared to be the highest risk as teens. • Policies in community agencies often exascerbated problems for families

  22. An Ecological Approach Community influences Early Intervention in school Poor community supports Cultural connections School drop-out Actively attending school Parent as advocate Declining parental role Vandalism Poor emotional reciprocity Strong emotional connections Community influences Healthy friends Poor social skills Better social skills Active parent involvement Few parental supports Poor recreational supports Social network support Healthy lifestyle Early diagnosis No/Little support in school Drinking/ drug use

  23. Conclusions-Recommendations • Need to increase community supports to better accommodate the child and family • Increased involvement with First Nation community • Early intervention in schools • Targeted support for teenagers (rethink role of family) • Targeted support to children with difficulties showing emotions • Increased collaboration between CFS and families, CFS and community supports

  24. Future Research • Study looking at the role of foster fathers in raising high need children • Study looking at subsets of children with FASD particularly children showing difficulty with emotional reciprocity • Comparing outcomes of children in urban areas or families that were not successful in keeping children

  25. Future Information Kathy Jones,Ph.D. RSW West Region Child and Family Services Rolling River First Nations Erikson, Manitoba, Canada kathy@wrcfs.mb.ca

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