Phases in the adjustment of wards in the foster care process : a study of the year by year adjustment of the foster child in placement by examination of the number of contacts between worker and those involved in the foster care process

Abstract

This thesis constitutes part of a group research project undertaken by the second year students of the Maritime School of Social Work on wardship and the practice of foster care. It is based on the study of 56 males and 44 females who were wards of the Children’s Aid Society of Colchester County as of December 31, 1962. A schedule was used by the group to collect the primary data from the case records of the Children’s Aid Society. Secondary data consisted of bibliographical material and interviews with staff members of the Society. The records were studied in an attempt to determine the pattern of the year to year adjustment of the wards in any one placement. Eighty wards of the total population were studied. This number represented the wards who had been in one foster home for a period of two years or more. Children in foster care experience stressful situations and the purpose of this study was to assess the degree of stress. The method used consisted of tabulating and analyzing the number of “serious” contacts the worker had with the child, the foster parents and other significant persons in the community. It was concluded that the group studied was too limited to indicate a clear cut pattern of adjustment; however, the study showed that the period of time in placement had an effect on the adjustment of the child. The study also indicated that the stresses in the chronological development of the child influenced his adjustment to the foster home. Finally, it was felt that the method used in the study was sufficiently effective to be considered for further use to ascertain its validity. A suggestion was made to implement over a period of years a system which might be helpful to social agencies providing foster care. The system would involve a tabulation of “serious” contacts with wards. This tabulation could be studied to provide information concerning the adjustment pattern of wards.