Date of Award

2000

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Social Work (MSW)

Department

Social Work

First Advisor

Lois Bosch

Second Advisor

Richard Spratt

Third Advisor

Sheila Schmaltz

Abstract

This is a quantitative secondary data analysis which researched the effects of parental involvement on youth in foster care within a private non-profit treatment foster care agency. The study was intended to educate the agency and their foster parents on the significance of parental involvement with youth in foster eare to successfully achieve each youth's initial placement goal of reunification. According to current laws, reunification is considered the preferred permanency plan for foster youth. Existing data used from the agency consisted of surveys from foster parents and social workers concerning 344 youth between the ages of 12 and l9 years old placed in the agency's foster homes. Findings supported past research which indicated that an association existed between parental unsupervised visiting and the reunification of youth in foster care. A statistically significant association was found between treatment team reviews and reunification according to social worker surveys, however, an association did not exist between other forms of parental contact and reunification. These findings are substantial to the social work field as they stress the importance of maintaining parental visiting as a means to faeilitate reunification.

Identifier

SC 11.MSW.2000.Welch.GK

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