Social Work Case Study Foster Care

affectionate Work Case Study treasure vexKirsty Lynch You be a new loving thespian to the matter. Your team leader has asked you to look at where the local anaestheticisation is going. What should be the cautiousness plan for jam?As the newly appointed social worker to mob case I shed reviewed all of mob read and have met with crowd and his nurture family in order to complete an reserve complaint plan. In accordance with bettor(p) practice guidelines I met James on his own and spoke to him astir(predicate) his current shoot forment and where he would like this to go. Hearing the voice of James informed my decision when choosing an capture commission plan for James as this went beyond simply auditory modality to his wishes, but it also allowed me to hear his fears and concerns regarding his post and future placements (HSE, 2013).The overall capture of James fearfulness plan is to determine the most suitable placement for James in the semipermanent. As mu ltiple p bent aid placements finish often disrupt stability and educational needs it is consequential to jibe as little disruption to James r come inine as feasible (Darmody, et al., 2013). Having met with James, I have evaluated three placement options for James and concluded my closing testimony below.Placement Option 1 proportional cling to dreadUnder Section 3 (2)(c) of the 1991 Child sustainment Act, it states that it is in the best interest of barbarianren to grow up within their biological families. When a boor is in need of a pargonnt tutorship placement, Tusla, the Child and Family agency, go surface initially look for a suitable proportional or a person who is known to the child to picture relative p bent fretfulness. comparative protect care, also known as Kinship care is be as the full-time nurturing and protection of children who must be separated from their parents, by relatives, members of their tribes or clans, godparents, stepparents, or other adults who have a phylogenetic relation alignment with a child (Winokur, et al., 2009, p. 8).Advantages of Relative nurse dole outRelative nourish care improves childrens sense of be through the continuity of family identity, which plays a great role in terms of the stability of the cherish placement (Farmer Moyers, 2008). question shows that there is little difference between how well children do in relative or non-relative care, it is a consistent finding that children in relative care do just as well as children in non-relative cheer care, including the stability of the placement (Hunt, et al., 2008), however it is plunge that children in kinship care find relative care to be slight stigmatising than non-relative involve up care (Messing, 2006).Other advantages of placing children in relative bring up care admit familiarity for the child, family identity, access to wider family, less traumatic environment and the child is able to go with their life within their own ethnic, racial and religious background (Cuddeback Orme, 2002)Disadvantages of Relative Foster armorial bearing question suggests that relative foster care does non provide children with the same level of guard duty as non-relative placements and as a result, non-relative foster placements may be safer in terms of the possibility of force-out or other environ affable dangers (Berrick, 1997). Cuddeback (2004) found that children in relative care do not function as well as children in the general or non-relative foster care, this includes higher reported behavioural problems and turn away performance in school subjects. Children life history in relative foster care often find out more environmental adversity cod to the demographic characteristics of their relative foster carers (i.e relative foster carers tend to be older, less educated, single, possibility of illness and poverty) (Ehrle Geen, 2002).Placement Option 2 long Foster CareThe atomic number 42 option for James is that his current foster placement is turned into a long-run foster placement, this would involve James continuing with his current foster family on a long-term basis. Long-term foster care is required when a social work section reaches a decision that it is unlikely that a child or green person pull up stakes return to their own family and necessitates a commitment from the foster family for a number of years (IFCA, 2017). Long-term foster care allows children to shape a founder of their foster family and often celebrate to live with their long-term foster family until they reach adulthood (IFCA, 2017). Long-term foster care is for the most billet classed as all period of time over 6 months, James placement has already drifted into a longer-term placement then originally be after as James has been with the Behan family for more than a year.Advantages of Long-term Foster CareResearch suggests that children in care are much better forth cosmos cared for in long-term family units rather than organism cared for in residential care homes. This is because children in long-term foster families receive more approximately superstar attention than they would in a residential setting where they are one child out of a large number of children being cared for.Festinger (1983) found that children who were in long-term foster care, functioned better than children who were brought up in residential care settings in a variety of different areas, these areas include children in long-term foster care accomplished higher levels of education, had a smaller chance of criminal behaviour which would lead to arrest or conviction, had less disappointment with the frequency of spot that they had with biological siblings, were less likely to break away when they reached independence and less likely to live alone in adulthood. A long with this adolescent raft in long-term foster care were less likely than those in residential care to turn problems aroun d substance abuse (Jones Moses, 1984).Long-term foster care washbasin provide children with a sense of belonging when the foster family allow the child to become a part of their family, children in long-term foster care often engage in family rituals and fun consumes which is important for encouraging odorings of belonging (Hedin, 2014). Research also shows that long-term foster carers who are meaningfully convoluted in the foster childs life and who outer back downive and caring relationships, provide better placement stability and less breakdown of placements (Christiansen, et al., 2013).Disadvantages of Long-term Foster Care global research suggests that children who are in long-term foster care may be at try of lower frantic and developmental progenys when compared with children who are reunified with their birth families, or children who are adopted (Moran, et al., 2016).The juristic status of long-term foster care offers no sense of permanency for children and youn g people, and as a result, children in long-term foster care put forward often be left with feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. There is a soaked possibility that children lead be merely subjected to more levelheaded proceedings and there is invariably the change that the placement will be terminated (Grey, 2006).Placement Option 3 residential Foster CareIn my opinion, residential foster care should still be elect as a last resort placement as children be to be brought up in a family. However, for young people who are effectively unable to live in their own home or in an alternative foster family, residential care may be the only suitable placement. There are various types of residential care, some are homes run by the HSE, others are run by hush-hush companies or voluntary organisations. Regardless of the type of residential setting, all are subject to inspection. In accordance with policy and best practice, the HSE does not place children who are 12 years of age or under in residential foster care except in exceptional heap (McEvoy Smith, 2011).Advantages of Residential Foster CareA small study which was conducted by Save the Children found that a high percentage of children in care identified that that would rather be in residential care than living in a foster home (Barry, 2001). Those interviewed advised that they had a strong preference for residential care as they felt it was more enduring for young people, especially around schooling and found that it was easier to talk around their experiences with other children who are in residential care (Moran, et al., 2016). The young people identified that their trust in people and their capacity to sustain long-term relationships was affected by the constant moving between foster care placements and various schools, whereas in residential care they felt this was a long-term solution and they were able to maintain friendships with school friends by continuing to reckon the same school on a regular basis (Barry, 2001).Disadvantages of Residential Foster CareThe study found that children also identified some(prenominal) an(prenominal) negatives with residential care, including intriguing to have any time alone, the lack of subject made it difficult to live with other young people who had challenging behaviour and often the unpredictable ambience that was formed by a large number of young people all living in concert in one care setting (Barry, 2001).Other research exclamatory a variety of problems experienced in residential care, twain somatogenic and emotional, which butt joint have an enormous impact on the stability of the placement (Hyde Kammerer, 2009). These included a high turnover of residential staff, anxiety, dealing with capricious behaviours of other young people and often children who are situated in residential care can model their own behaviour off of others and as a result young people in residential care often have aggressive tendencies (Moran, et a l., 2016). By placing together young people who are at-risk, this can often limit their experience of imperious role models and their prospects to develop their own attitudes and pro-social skills (Turner Macdonald, 2011).My RecommendationIt is my recommendation that James continue his placement and that this be made long-term. When James first came into foster care the CFA assessed James for relative foster care, unfortunately James has no relatives other than his mother Jennifer in Ireland and Jennifer has very little contact with her family back home. To assure Jennifer has not been in contact with the CFA despite a number of attempts from the CFA to contact contact with her. Jennifer left Ireland without informing the CFA and it has since become clear that she is living afield in a new relationship. Jennifer has made no attempts to make contact with James in over 12 months.Children deserve to grow up in a loving, caring family, and I feel James deserves to experience this w ith the Behan family as it is not possible for James to return to his biological family. Research shows that children who experience loving relationships with foster families frequently consider them as their second family (Mason Tipper, 2008), from speaking with James it is clear that he regards the Behan family as his own family. bloody shame entertains James emotionally, James feels that he can trust Mary, this is evident as James confided in Mary about being bullied in school. International research shows that foster parents who are emotionally concerned about their foster children and who provide foulive relationships with their foster children, have been found to provide better placement stability and there is a much lower risk of the breakdown of placements (Carnochan, et al., 2013).James has been living with the Behan family for 14 months, has frequently attended the local primary school and has been enrolled into the local secondary school for September coming. I feel th at the transition from primary school to secondary school will be hard on James, however I feel that with the support of the Behan family, and familiar friends attending the same school, that this will be easier for James than being uprooted to a new foster home and starting over again in a new school unknown to him.It is my final recommendation that it is in James best interests to continue his placement with the Behan family and that this placement be made into a long-term placement.Your team leader is sceptical about the idea of supporting the travel vacation idea (on financial and wellness and refuge grounds). But she also asks you to argue for the idea, so that the issues can be clearly set out for discussion and decisionI support the idea of James going on a skiing holiday as I feel that holidaying with family is an integral part of growing up and will public assistance James in a number of ways. I have outlined below what I feel the benefits of this holiday will be to Jam es and I have supported this with academic research. I have also addressed your concerns on the financial and health and safety grounds of James attending this holiday.Benefits of Skiing family HolidayStudies show holidays can benefit carers and children in their care by tendinging to create a bond between the two (Lewis, 2001). Research on the effects of children in cares participation in holidays has also specifically explored how engaging in holidays can be a way of encouraging engagement with mainstream society and promoting the social inclusion of children in care (Quinn Stacey, 2010). Lewis (2001) found that children in care were apprised of their social exclusion and they often felt they were missing out on holidays that other children were able to experience with their families. This is supported by Hughes who advised that being able to go on holiday gives children the ability to participate in the commonly ordinarily accepted style of life in the familiarity (Hughes, 1 991).Benefits of Family Holidays for Foster ChildrenStrengthening Family bonds Holidays allow children and their foster families time to bond as a family. It is crucial for children to have healthy attachments and family holidays provide provision for this to glide by (IFAPA, 2013). If James placement is to be made long-term, it is important that he continues to wee and maintain relationships within the Behan family and a family holiday will help both James and the family to strengthen their family bonds.Normalisation Family holidays are a normal part of growing up and often children in care can feel that they are not normal and that they dont fit in with social norms. A lot of children in foster care often miss out on the normality of family life and this should not be the case (IFAPA, 2013). It is important for James to feel that he is part of the Behan family and for him to continue to have as normal a childhood as possible.Independence By including foster children in the cook ing process of a holiday, this can boost childrens independence. Foster children can learn a lot about the holiday planning process that can allow them to have some ownership, this is not only ownership within the process, but also ownership in the outcome of the holiday. Holidays are a vital part of childhood and provide many opportunities for children in care to learn valuable life skills (IFAPA, 2013).Foster children often feel that they are not important enough to include and many struggle with feelings of low self worth (IFAPA, 2013). Currently James is seek with feelings of low self worth as he has reacted badly to his mothers disappearing and has become quite withdrawn and depressed. The fact that the Behan family wish to include James on their family holiday is important to show James that he is part of their family and that he is wanted. A holiday would be beneficial to James not only to strengthen his bond with the family, but also for his own mental wellbeing.FinancialFo ster families are provided with a fostering allowance to help foster parents to meet the daily living needs to the childs, this allowance by and large covers the likes of food, clothing and education such as books, uniforms and extra-curricular activities, the allowance also essay to cover treats such as toys, games and holidays (Tusla, 2017). When it comes to holidays, these are an expensive event for any family, especially if the holiday is abroad. The Behan family have already worked together to save as much as they can for the upcoming Skiing holiday to total to the cost of bringing Sean with them. The remaining 400 that they are seeking from Tusla is call for in order to pay for the extra indemnification needed to bring Sean away, Seans passport, as well as needing a bigger apartment to get a line that Sean has his own bedroom for the period of the holiday. Many other fostering agencies cognise this and in some cases, increase the foster carers allowance over the durati on of school holidays which can often help foster carers to fund a holiday for their foster child (NFA, 2015). In some cases foster parents are entitled to an additional payment when they choose to take their foster child on a family holiday with them and I feel that this should be the case for the Behan family as the benefits for James would be immense (NFA, 2015).Health and SafetyThe Irish foster care association advises that foster children are not always covered under family insurance policies for holidaying as foster children may not be included in the definition of family or close relative. They further advise that they have raised this issue with many travel insurance companies and as a result, more and more travel insurance companies are now including foster children under the definition of family since the legalities of foster care have been brought to their attention (IFCA, 2013). I have contacted a number of travel insurance companies on behalf of the CFA to confirm whet her or not foster children are included on their policies and have compiled a list of appropriate companies for future purposes.As there is further risk associated with sports holidays, such as a skiing holiday, this has been further discussed with the Behan family to ensure that the insurance policy that they take out has a provision for a skiing holiday.The Behan family are aware of the health and safety risks of a skiing holiday with James and have discussed their concerns around this with me. Having researched health and safety and insurance of foster children on holidays, the Behan family have advised that they are satisfied that the insurance policy that they will be taking out will be sufficient for James to attend the holiday with them. refinementThe research provided proves that children can benefit from holidays abroad by experiencing new activities, husbandry and educational experiences. In her research on children in care in 2001, Lewis identified the benefits of childr en in care participating in family holidays as modify relationships, relaxation, escaping routine, social interaction, self-fulfilment and educational opportunities (Lewis, 2001). As a result I support the idea of James attending the skiing holiday with the Behan family as I believe that holidaying with family is an integral part of growing up and it will benefit James to experience this while providing him with a positive childhood experience which many foster children often miss out on.Word opine 2,997BibliographyBarry, M., 2001. A sense of purpose Care leavers views and experiences of growing up. Glasgow Strathprints Institutional Repository.Berrick, J. D., 1997. Assessing smell of care in kinship and foster family care. Family Relations, Volume 46, p. 273-281.Carnochan, S., Moore, M. Austin, M. J., 2013. Achieving placement stability. daybook of Evidence-Based Social Work, Volume 10, p. 235-253.Child Care Act, 1991. The Child Care Act. capital of Ireland Government of Irela nd.Christiansen, O., Havnen, J. S. K., Havik, T. Anderssen, N., 2013. Cautious belonging Relationships in long-term foster-care. British diary of Social Work,, Volume 43, p. 720-738.Cuddeback, G. S., 2004. Kinship family foster care a methodological and substantive synthesis of research. Children and Youth go Review,, Volume 26, pp. 623-639.Cuddeback, G. S. Orme, J. G., 2002. Training and function for kinship and nonkinship foster families. Child Welfare, Volume 81, pp. 879-909.Darmody, M., McMahon, L., Banks, J. Gilligan, R., 2013. Education of Children in Care in Ireland An Exploratory Study, capital of Ireland Ombudsman for Children.Ehrle, J. Geen, R., 2002. Children cared for by Relatives What run Do They take on? Assessing the New Federalism Policy Brief, Washington DC The Urban Institute.Farmer, E. Moyers, S., 2008. Kinship Care reproduction Effective Family and Friends Placements (Quality Matters in Childrens Services). London Jessica Kingsley Publishers.Festinger, T., 1983. No One forever Asked Us a Postscript to Foster Care. New York Columbia University Press.FFI, 2017. Fostering First Ireland. Online Available at https//www.fosteringfirstireland.ie/what-is-fostering/the-different-types-of-placements/standard-placements/Accessed 27 February 2017.Grey, B., 2006. LONG-TERM FOSTERING OR ADOPTION? A RESEARCH REVIEW. Seen and Heard, 15(4), pp. 45-51.Hedin, L., 2014. A sense of belonging in a changeable everyday life A follow up study of young people in kinship, network and traditional foster care. Child and Family Social Work, 19(2), p. 165-173.HSE, 2013. Court Best Practice Guidance , Dublin Health Service Executive.Hughes, H. L., 1991. Holidays and the economically disadvantaged. Tourism Management, 12(3), pp. 193-196.Hunt, J., Waterhouse, S. Lutman, E., 2008. Keeping them in the family, outcomes for children placed in kinship care through care proceedings. London BAAF.Hyde, J. Kammerer, N., 2009. Adolescents surveys on placement moves an d congregate settings Complex and cumulative instabilities in out-of-home care. Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 31, p. 265-273.IFAPA, 2013. Iowa Foster Adoptive Parents Association. Online Available at http//www.ifapa.org/pdf_docs/weeklywordjune42013.pdfAccessed 3 defect 2017.IFCA, 2017. Irish Foster Care Association. Online Available at http//www.ifca.ie/fostering/types-fostering/Accessed 2 March 2017.Jones, M. A. Moses, B., 1984. West Virginias former foster children Their experiences in care and their lives as young adults. New York Child Welfare League of America.Lewis, E., 2001. Evaluation of the Benefits of unskilled Holidays for Young mess in Public Care. London National Childrens Bureau.Mason, J. Tipper, B., 2008. creation related How children define and create kinship. Childhood, 15(4), p. 441-460.McEvoy, O. Smith, M., 2011. Listen to our voices Hearing Children and Young People living in the care of the state, Dublin Minister for Children and Youth Affai rs.Messing, J. T., 2006. From the childs perspective A qualitative analysis of kinship care placements.. Children and Youth Services Review,, Volume 28, pp. 1415-1434.Moran, L., McGregor, C. Devaney, C., 2016. Practitioner Guide to Literature Review Permanence and stability for Children in Care, The National University of Ireland, Galway The UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre.Quinn, B. Stacey, J., 2010. The Benefits of Holidaying for Children Experiencing Social Exclusion new-fashioned Irish Evidence. Leisure Studies, 29(1), pp. 29-52.Turner, W. Macdonald, ,. G., 2011. Treatment foster care for improving outcomes in children and young people A systematic review. Research on Social Work Practice, 21(5), p. 501-527.Winokur, M., Holtan, A. Valentine, D., 2009. Kinship care for the safety, permanency, and well-being of children removed from the home for maltreatment, s.l. Wiley.