Foster Care Study 30+ years later

 Abstract: A Holistic Inquiry into the American Foster Care System

This master's thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into the American foster care system, conducted through a private, non-government-funded, and unbiased study. By surveying a diverse sample of 1,000 past foster children, 500 foster parents, 500 biological parents, 500 adoptive parents, 500 prisoners, 100 child sex offenders,  500 child welfare workers, 50 family court judges, 50 legislative members, 50 congress elected members, 100 police officers, and 50 state governors, supplemented by extensive research into government statistics, this study addresses critical questions related to child welfare policies and practices, racial disparities, and the long-term outcomes of children in the foster care system. 

Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the study utilizes quantitative and qualitative methods to gain a profound understanding of the factors influencing the lives of foster children, families, workers, and the government. 

The outcomes aim to provide invaluable insights for informing policy changes and enhancing the child welfare system. The government research will be from King County, Washington, for a base system context.

The study unfolds across various domains with unbiased surveys for:

Past Foster Children

Prisoners with Foster Care Backgrounds

Foster Parents

Biological Parents

Child Welfare Workers

Family Judges

Legislature Persons

Elected Congress officials

Police Officers

Governors

with supporting PRRs from King County Government Impact:

To read more about our surveys:  go to "blog" on this site.  https://websites.godaddy.com/en-US/editor/be484f64-818b-4c09-ad8f-402047036ba8/b3dd3476-9ed0-4e8c-a310-03191f72aaae/

Crofts' Exploration of America's Foster Care System:

A 30-Year Examination

 More than three decades ago, my journey into child welfare began with a pilot study in social work, delving into CPS child abuse removal, family reunification, and the enduring challenges within the American foster care system. Having observed its evolution, it's undeniable that the foster care system faces even more significant challenges today than it did 30 years ago.

Foster children today encounter hurdles that lead to even more challenging futures than they did 30 years ago. Governmental financial deficiencies, intensified by confidential settlements and modified laws, appear primarily aimed at managing financial consequences rather than prioritizing the well-being of vulnerable children and families who endure as victims. This reflection is framed against the legislative backdrop of Washington state, specifically Senate Bill 5151 enacted in 2021. This bill, designed to reduce the number of children in foster care by 50%, provides a stark context for concerns: where will the abused children go, and how will this improve their lives? It is anticipated that other states will follow Washington's lead, recognizing the fiscal strain of the foster care system without proportional benefits for foster children, biological families, social workers, and the community.

Presently, studies have proven that when children are abused, they enter a slippery slope toward addiction, lack of educational success, homelessness, and incarceration, and this is compounded when entering the foster care system. The foster care system, intended as a refuge for abused children, has turned into an abuse cycle, producing desperate people without a support system. To the detriment of children, foster families and social workers are resources that often don’t endure, leading to a cascade of issues that harm the already fragile foster children.

In response, Crofts proposes to conduct a study for her Ph.D., based on Dr. Walton's successful  study, incorporating bibliotherapeutic books. This private, non-government-funded, unbiased study emerges as a beacon of impartiality, aiming to provide an in-depth examination of the foster care system across America.

This study will follow Dr. Walton's plan, entering homes where foster children are being removed from their homes with a family preservation worker and an investigator. They will work efficiently with a staffing team for 90 days to facilitate the child's long-term return to the family. Families and children will be studied for 90 days, 1 year, 3 years, 7 years, and 20 years to measure trauma, suicide rates, addiction, prison, perpetuating abuse, etc.

The anticipated results of this longitudinal study are to anticipate: families staying together, less trauma in foster care for all, prolonged state workers in their jobs, shorter foster care stays, educational benefits, reduced jail time, fewer foster kids who have children at young ages, fewer foster kids whose children go into foster care, and a significant reduction in filed lawsuits and state payouts for child welfare.

Dr. Walton's Studies:

• U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). Poverty rates for selected detailed race and Hispanic groups by state and place: 2014-2018. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2020/demo/p60-271.html
• API-GBV. (2018). Pacific Islander and Asian American Women and Families: A Research Agenda for the Next Decade. https://www.api-gbv.org/
• National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). Educational attainment in the United States: 2019. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_caa.asp

What Crofts Needs:

Layna is looking for a university to propel this study, and a county and DCFS to allow the study to be implemented.

Walton, E; Fraser, M.W; Lewis, R.E; Pecora, P.J; Walton, W.K. (1993) “In-Home Family-Focused Reunification: And Experimental Study.” Child welfare 72.5: 473–487. Print.

Walton, E.: In-home family-focused reunification (1998). A six-year follow-up of a successful experiment, Social Work Research, Volume 22, Issue 4, December 1998, Pages 205–214, https://doi-org.du.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/swr/22.4.205

Walton, E. (2001). Combining Abuse and Neglect Investigations With Intensive Family Preservation Services: An Innovative Approach to Protecting Children. Research on Social Work Practice, 11(6), 627-644. 

https://doi-org.du.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/104973150101100601

Walton, E. (1994). Intensive in-home family preservation services to enhance child protective investigative and assessment decisions: The evaluation of an experimental model (Final Report, Grant No. 90CW1042/01). Washington, D.C.: Administration on Children, Youth, and Families.

 Mother filicide-suicide

This dissertation investigates the profound and troubling phenomenon of maternal filicide-suicide, wherein mothers, overwhelmed by severe psychological distress, commit the dual acts of killing their children and subsequently taking their own lives. Employing an interdisciplinary approach that integrates psychology, criminology, and social work, this research seeks to unravel the intricate psychological, sociocultural, and systemic factors contributing to these tragic occurrences. The study utilizes a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative analysis of case data with qualitative interviews of survivors and mental health professionals to identify prevalent risk factors, emerging patterns, and effective preventive strategies.

A central hypothesis of this research is that maternal filicide-suicide cases are disproportionately committed by women employed in the "helping professions," such as social work or healthcare, who are also engaged with Child Protective Services (CPS) or facing the potential removal of their children. The study will examine how professional stressors and systemic pressures intersect with mental health challenges to precipitate these events.

The findings are expected to reveal significant gaps in current early intervention and support systems, underscoring the need for more comprehensive screening, targeted interventions, and robust support mechanisms for at-risk families. By enhancing the understanding of this phenomenon, the research aims to inform policy development and practice improvements, ultimately working towards the prevention of such tragedies and the provision of better support for vulnerable mothers and their children.