Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- The Institute for Clinical Social Work, . / A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Institute of Clinical Social Work in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

by Leung Tung So Mei, Emily. / Thesis (M.S.W.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 208-214.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (D.S.W.)--New York University, School of Social Work, 1985. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 158-160).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Idaho, 2006. / Major professor: Jerry R. McMurtry. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 182-188). Also available online in PDF format.

by Kwong Sau Hung, Sandy. / Thesis (M.S.W.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-122). / Acknowledgements --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.4 / The Concept of Foster Care Service --- p.4 / Foster Care Service in Hong Kong --- p.7 / Local Studies on Foster Care Service --- p.15 / The Importance of Stable Foster Care Placement --- p.17 / Studies on Stable Foster Care Placement --- p.20 / Role Problems in Foster Care --- p.23 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Conceptual Framework --- p.33 / Role Theory --- p.33 / Theoretical Framework --- p.36 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Research Methodology --- p.40 / Research Questions --- p.41 / Definition and Measurement of Variables --- p.41 / Structure of Questionnaire --- p.46 / Study Design --- p.47 / Subject --- p.48 / Data Analysis --- p.48 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Results --- p.49 / Demographic Characteristics --- p.49 / Motivations and Fostering Experience --- p.56 / Psychometric Properties of Measurement --- p.61 / Measures of Major Variables --- p.62 / Relationship between Variables --- p.75 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Discussion --- p.82 / Demographic Characteristics --- p.82 / Motivations and Fostering Experience --- p.84 / Major Variables --- p.87 / Relationship between Variables --- p.97 / Limitations of the Study --- p.101 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Conclusion --- p.103 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Recommendations --- p.106 / Implication for Social Work Practice --- p.106 / Implication for Research --- p.112 / Bibliography --- p.114 / Appendix A Items Measuring Major Variables --- p.123 / Appendix B Questionnaire (Chinese Version) --- p.128 / Appendix C Questionnaire (English Version) --- p.137 / Appendix D Results of Open Ended Questions --- p.146

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 113-121).

The purpose of this study is to identify satisfaction levels and retention intention of Chinese foster parents in Hong Kong. Foster parents are one of the major caregivers of children in out-of-home care services. However, in recent years, there has been a decreasing number of foster parents. The aim of the study is to discover what aspects foster parents value in fostering, and in what way they perceive value fulfillment through fostering and what their wants are. Finally, the relationship between foster parenthood satisfaction and foster parent retention is examined. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are applied in this study. The quantitative research data was collected with the aid of a questionnaire. 666 questionnaires were sent out to current foster parents giving Ordinary Foster Care service and 150 questionnaires were sent to deregistered foster parents who had quit since 2009; and these questionnaires were sent out through the Social Welfare Department of Hong Kong SAR Government. 200 responses were received from the former and 15 from the latter. The response rate was 30.03%and 10%respectively. The qualitative research data comprised13 in-depth interviews with three current foster parents joining the service in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s respectively, along with13 deregistered foster parents from 10 families. The results from analyzing questionnaire data collected from the current foster parents reveal that foster parent retention can be explained through foster parenthood satisfaction (.839). It is found that foster parenthood satisfaction can be explained by foster parents’ perception regarding what they gained as they went through fostering (.513). The results indicate that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to foster parenthood satisfaction. The in-depth interviews reveal that foster parents are happy when they can see positive changes and development in children under their care. All 16 interviewed respondents stated that foster care worker support was important to them, particularly to those looking after special needs children. The author recommends that foster care agencies review their practices and find ways to facilitate foster parents to achieve what they value. It is recommended that the foster home ownership system be evaluated so that foster care agencies can try to build up a stable relationship with foster parents to strengthen their support. It is also recommended that the need for developing different types of foster care apart from ordinary service be reviewed as a method of relieving foster parent shortage. In addition, further research is recommended to be carried out into understanding the different wants of foster parents at different stages of their fostering experience. / published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

M.A. / South Africa is facing a high proportion of children in need of care due to the high escalation of HIV/AIDS related illness. Most of the orphaned children are left with either paternal or maternal families. As a result the families are facing challenges to perform “social, emotional, and educational tasks” and to cope with the additional family members. The study was exploratory and aimed to explore the challenges faced by foster parents, and their coping strategies in Johannesburg. The targeted area was Hillbrow. Twelve foster parents namely, three child-headed, three single parents, three in marital relationship and three grandparents headed families were selected from the researcher’s caseload. The goal of the study was to explore the challenges foster parents are experiencing in relation to foster children and to raise awareness of the social services providers concerning these challenges in order for them to take it into account in the planning of programmes or strategies that will assist with the coping mechanisms. The researcher has conducted a literature study on the tasks and responsibilities of foster parents; criteria on selecting foster parents and the demands made on foster parents. Semi-structured interviews were utilised as a data collection method. The interviewees responded in African languages and data was translated to English. The findings from the study were as follows: • Some of the foster parents have a challenge of accommodation in Hillbrow since this area is characterised by overpopulation. For example, they share one bedroomed flat as different families, and they have no privacy. • Some of the children are left in the care of their grandparents who are pensioners. Even though they receive foster care grants to supplement their income, they still unable to meet the teenagers’ needs. • Children react differently after the death of their parents and the following reactions were reported: lack of interest in their studies, crying, and difficulties to adapt to a new environment, withdrawal, attention seeking and anger. • Most of the foster parents are receiving support from the family members while some families are sources of conflict, especially when it comes to Foster Care Grants. • Foster parents have their own different ways of coping with foster care placement such as communication, family support, religion, working hand in hand with the professionals and foster care grants. Conclusions in this study indicated that: • The Department of Social Development should network with the Department of housing to give a priority of providing foster parents with Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses. • Workshop Programmes and Support Groups for Foster parents should be established.