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What People Really Think About Foster Care

Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Conference4 August 2010

Knowledge and Perceptions of the Australian Public

UOW

Melanie RandleSara DolnicarLeonie Miller

Joseph Ciarrochi

CareSouth

Janenne WellsChris StubbsDee Neveling

Jo Munro

Acknowledgements

CareSouthIndustry Partner

Australian Research Council and UOW Research CommitteeFunding

CatholicCare WollongongCollaborator

Today’s Presentation

Introduction Prior Research Study Aims Methodology Results

Knowledge Perceptions

Conclusions and Implications Future Research

Background: CareSouth

Began in 1994, recognition of a need to support children and families in the Shoalhaven

Grown to include the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, South Coast and Southern Tablelands regions of NSW

Provides a range of accommodation, care and support services for children, young people, adults with disabilities and their families residential accommodation for young people, disability programs,

supervised contact and transport, Brighter Futures Illawarra, Psychology South, intensive family support , foster care, Family Choices, Aunties & Uncles program

Mission: supporting individuals, families and communities

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The Current Situation

Currently over 34,000 children in out-of-home care, this figure has doubled in the last decade (AIHW, 2010)

The largest proportion of these are in foster care The number of foster carers is decreasing

“the number of foster carers has plummeted from 3,250 in 2001, to 1,000 in 2009, a decrease of 69 per cent” (Wooldridge, 2009)

Other trends: needs of children in care becoming increasingly complex, required care extending for longer periods, cost per child increasing (Wood, 2008)

These factors combined are making it more difficult to attract enough foster carers to cater for the children needing care

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Why Marketing?

This challenge presents some similarities with marketing problems:

1. how to identify the right customers (individuals most likely to become foster carers);

2. design an attractive product (a foster care experience that is rewarding in some way);

3. attract them (convince them to begin foster caring); and

4. keep them loyal (have them continue on as foster carers for as long as possible)

Developing communications messages to attract foster carers (point 3 above) is the focus of this study

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Prior Research

Most foster care research focuseson those already involved

Reasons for non-involvement offer some insight Spotlight on Safety (DoCS), 2006

Too old (27%); already have own children, that’s enough (11%); foster children would have too many problems (9%); not enough time/too many other things to do (9%); financially/can’t afford it (8%)

Randle et al., 2009 I do not know anything about foster care (40%); too busy with own children,

work, family/friends (24%, 24%, 25%); no one has ever asked me to (22%)

No insight as to the level of knowledge or extent of misconceptions about foster care within the population

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Study Aims

1. Assess the level of knowledge of foster care within the general population(the lower this level, the more urgent the need for information campaigns); and

2. Identify perceptions (and/or misconceptions) amongst the population which might prevent people from becoming a foster carer (if such misconceptions exist, information campaigns are necessary to correct them and present a more realistic picture of foster care)

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Methodology

Fieldwork Conducted Nov-Dec 2009 Online research panel Self-completion survey (approx 40 minutes)

Sample N=1,098 Screening criteria: individuals who (1) were between the ages of 18-64

(2) were Australian citizens or permanent residents; and (3) had not been a foster carer before

Nationally representative for age, sex and state of residence

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Methodology

Measures List of statements derived from

qualitative interviews with case workers, foster care managers, recruitment coordinators, foster carers, people who have left care, academics (n=27)

Final list of 24 knowledge statements and 49 perception statements

Included statements relating to carers, foster children, allowances, biological families, training and support

Statements randomly ordered for each participant to avoid bias

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Results:Perceived Knowledge of Foster Care

31% of people felt they have a good understanding of foster care and 9% said they have little or no idea what it is. The majority - almost 60% - indicated they have some idea what it is.

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Results: Knowledge of Foster Care (1/2)

TrueFalse

Unsure

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Results: Knowledge of Foster Care (2/2)

TrueFalse

Unsure

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Results: Knowledge of Foster Carers (1/2)

TrueFalse

Unsure

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Results: Knowledge of Foster Carers (2/2)

TrueFalse

Unsure

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Results: Perceptions of Foster Care and Allowances

AgreeDisagree

Neither agree nor disagree

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Results: Perceptions of Foster Carers (1/2)

AgreeDisagree

Neither agree nor disagree

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Results: Perceptions of Foster Carers (2/2)

AgreeDisagree

Neither agree nor disagree

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Results: Perceptions of Foster Children (1/3)

AgreeDisagree

Neither agree nor disagree

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Results: Perceptions of Foster Children (2/3)

AgreeDisagree

Neither agree nor disagree

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Results: Perceptions of Foster Children (3/3)

AgreeDisagree

Neither agree nor disagree

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Results: Perceptions of Biological Families (1/2)

AgreeDisagree

Neither agree nor disagree

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Results: Perceptions of Biological Families (2/2)

AgreeDisagree

Neither agree nor disagree

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Results: Perceptions of Training and Support

AgreeDisagree

Neither agree nor disagree

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Conclusions and Implications

There is a general understanding of what foster care is, however not good knowledge of specific aspects Communications need to be educative and provide a complete picture of

foster care – including training, support, networks Multi-faceted benefits of foster caring – both for the child and the carers

Perceptions of children and biological families are not particularly negative Highlights importance of managing expectations of new carers

Application of marketing concepts can potentially assist in achieving organisational goals Marketing knowledge and expertise valuable within foster care

organisations A wide range of different marketing approaches available

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Future Research

Whether some groups within the community have better knowledge than others

Whether particular groups within the community are characterised by particular perceptions

Whether those most likely to become foster carers actually have good knowledge and accurate perceptions

Linking reasons for non-involvement with accuracy of perceptions

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Thank you.

Questions?