Publication year: 2011
Source: Children and Youth Services Review, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 18 February 2011
Susan, Tregeagle , Elizabeth, Cox , Catherine, Forbes , Cathy, Humphreys , Cas, O’Neill
This paper investigates the time caseworkers spend supporting long-term foster care and adoption placements. Undertaken in Australia through collaboration between university and nongovernment agency researchers, the ‘Cost of Support Study’ tracked the hours that caseworkers spent supporting twenty-seven children and their carers over a nine month period3 The placements were part of a ‘Find-A-Family’ program for ‘hard to place children’, many of whom had previously experienced multiple placement breakdowns. The program has a history of 78% stability on the first placement (over the young person’s time in the program) and 93% by the second, with the type of support provided…
Research Highlights: ►The time caseworkers spend supporting long-term foster care placements is explored. ►Weekly diaries recorded 3.5 hours of worker time per placement, on average. ►Average time and worker activity depend on the characteristics of the placement. ►Costs are calculated by multiplying worker hours by the hourly cost per worker. ►The paper associates costs with high quality support and supervision of casework.