Foster parent satisfaction in Nova Scotia
LE3 .A278 2001
2001
Lehr, Ron
Acadia University
Master of Education
Masters
Counselling
Education
In recent years, a decline in recruitment numbers, and retention rates for foster parents in Nova Scotia has intensified the need for a comprehensive delivery of services in an already severely fragmented child welfare system. The Nova Scotia Department of Community Services has been attempting to address the challenges associated, in part, with these needs. The research presented here examined various aspects of the provision of foster care: (1) the system that provides the framework for foster care; (2) the children for whom out-of-home placement is necessary; and (3) the foster parents themselves. The work has addressed in particular those issues which relate--both directly and indirectly--to job satisfaction among foster parents in Nova Scotia. Three questionnaires were distributed, one to regular foster parents, one to foster parents who had discontinued their services, and one to foster care workers. The initial questionnaire was completed, and returned by 341 of the 907 foster parents; follow-up questionnaires were administered to 18 foster parents, and to 4 foster care workers. Foster parents cited working with the foster children as their overall most satisfying experience, and gave inadequate support from the administering agency as the most unsatisfactory aspect of their work.
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