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PubMed1997

Exploration of criteria for residential and foster care.

Foster family placements of children "at risk" often break down prematurely. In this paper the psychosocial characteristics of children in foster and residential care in Holland are analysed to identify some provisional criteria that can increase the success of foster family placements. Successful placement was found to be associated with young age of the child, and with the absence of serious emotional and behavioural difficulties at the time of the placement. Further factors influencing success were: a low involvement of the birth parents, a careful selection of foster parent families, a "good" match between the problems of the foster child and the capacities of the foster family to care and rear, a good preparation of all parties involved during the process of placement, and professional guidance during the whole process of foster care.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Improving resources for foster care.

The number of foster children and their psychological and medical morbidity are growing. To gain insight into how to recruit and retain foster homes, characteristics of 64 foster families were determined by interview. Foster parents had low-to-moderate incomes, were approaching middle age, had underutilized home space, and wanted more children. Most enjoyed foster care and planned to continue. Twenty-three percent of the 64 had half of all foster children in the study in their homes at interview and had cared for seven times as many children in the past, including 66% of all the teens and 83% of all the handicapped children who had been in the 64 homes. These "high providers" functioned like group homes for mentally handicapped individuals. Adapting the group-home concept to foster homes could improve care, especially for children with special needs.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Discipline practices among biological and foster parents.

In a sample of 124 parents (62 pairs of biological and foster parents) of children who were maltreated (M age = 6.2 years), this study compared self-reports of discipline practices between biological and foster parents toward a target child and explored the role of child, parent, and foster care ecology factors on discipline practices. Controlling for parental age, psychological distress, and marital status, biological and foster parents reported using similar levels of positive, appropriate, and harsh discipline. For biological and foster parents, child characteristics (being female, younger, and having more conduct problems) were associated with parental self-reports of less effective discipline. The study also found a positive association between parent-to-parent cooperation and effective discipline. These findings suggest that parenting interventions may need to move beyond simple presumption of deficits in parenting knowledge, and that children could benefit from enhancement of supportive relationships between biological and foster parents involved in the foster care system.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties?

Although foster care is generally seen as providing a positive experience for the children and young people for whom it caters, it is rarely conceived of as a place where the children are helped to address their emotional difficulties and modify their often difficult behaviour. Yet research evidence suggests that some foster carers are consistently less likely to have placements which break down, and that foster carers who show particular skills in parenting can make a difference to successful outcomes. The article draws on a large longitudinal study of foster care to argue that it is possible to learn from what these foster carers do in order to develop these skills in others. A model of successful foster care. developed from the main statistical part of the study is first described. Two cases from the qualitative, case-studies component of the research are then analysed to demonstrate a quality of responsive parenting. The model is further developed within the framework of the dynamic of attachment and interest sharing proposed by Heard and Lake (1997), to show how this can be used as a basis for future approaches to working with foster placements.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1998

Foster care children and family homelessness.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association between family homelessness and children's placement in foster care. METHODS: The prevalence of homelessness in a random sample of 195 young foster children was examined. RESULTS: Almost half of the birth parents of the foster children had experienced homelessness. Those children were more likely than other foster children to have siblings in foster care and to be place with nonrelatives. CONCLUSIONS: An extremely high prevalence of family homelessness was found among children in foster care. Policy implications of the association between family homelessness and placement into foster care are discussed.

California↗

PubMed2005

[Foster home caregivers' point of view on the transformation of mental health services in Québec].

This article presents the major findings from a study that examined foster home caregivers' views on the impact of the transformation of mental health services on caregivers and their work with persons with serious mental illness. In Québec foster homes, (or more commonly known as foster families), represent one of the oldest models of community based housing for persons with serious mental illness. In fact, the emergence of the first foster home dates back to the 1950ies. Over time, a large number of persons discharged from psychiatric hospitals during the process of deinstitutionalization were placed into these homes. Foster homes are private homes located in the community and operated by non professionals who can accommodate up to nine individuals. These residences provide a normal environment for its residents. Foster home caregivers must ensure a secure and safe environment as well as obtain certain services and encourage the social integration of the residents. Today foster homes are regulated by Bill 120 (Québec Government, 1995) and are designated as "family type resources" (RTF).

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Attitude, interest, and motivation for adoption and foster care.

This survey compares prospective foster and adoptive parents' attitudes, willingness, and motivations, and discusses implications for media campaigns. The results show that demographic profiles of targets for adoption and foster placements are the same, an opportunity exists to shape positive attitudes toward foster care in immigrant populations, the most compelling way to attract parents is to focus on the child in need, and testimonials of personal experiences of foster and adoptive parents should address perceived barriers to adopting or fostering. Political, religious, and environmental ideology were unrelated to attitudes or willingness to adopt or foster. Respondents with strong identifications with gay or lesbian lifestyles exhibited a higher than average willingness to adopt or foster.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Safety and stability for foster children: the policy context.

Even though federal laws have had a major influence on foster care and child welfare policy for more than 40 years, additional reforms are needed to ensure safe and stable families for children in care. This article describes the complex array of policies that shape federal foster care and observes: A number of federal policies addressing issues such as housing, health care, welfare, social security benefits, taxes, and foster care reimbursement to the states, form the federal foster care policy framework. The Adoption and Safe Families Act significantly altered federal foster care policy by instituting key changes such as defining when it is reasonable to pursue family reunification, expediting timelines for making permanency decisions, recognizing kinship care as a permanency option, and providing incentives to the state for increasing the number of adoptions. Courts play a key and often overlooked role in achieving safety and permanency for children in foster care. Efforts to improve court performance have focused on increasing the responsiveness and capacity of courts. The article concludes with policy recommendations that are needed to improve the lives of children in foster care, such as increasing investments in children and families, redirecting funding incentives, addressing service gaps, and enhancing accountability.

Adoption↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Behavioral health service use and costs among children in foster care.

This article compares behavioral health service use and cost for foster care versus nonfoster care children; children before, during, and after foster care placement; and successfully reunified versus nonsuccessfully reunified foster care children. Behavioral health service costs for children in foster care were higher than for children not in foster care. Children in foster care used more services during their foster care placement than before placement and after discharge. Nonsuccessfully reunified children received a significantly larger quantity of services than those successfully reunified.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A study of 185 foster children 5 years after placement.

This study's findings are similar to those of other studies. The majority of children who enter foster care return to their families within a relatively short time. A small group, because of the severity of their problems or those of their parents, need extended care. This group of children, over time, form the hard core of foster care placements. Our findings also bear out those of others that the foster care experience is a relatively stable one for children, with the majority having one or two placements while in care. Clearly, the need for and use of foster care is frequently misunderstood. The methodology used in research studies has gradually improved, adding to objective knowledge about this aspect of the child welfare system. Longitudinal studies, such as Jenkins [1967], Fanshel and Shinn [1978], and the one reported here, point to the need for deeper, more refined studies that examine not only the going and coming of children in foster care but the professional service component that can make foster care a constructive experience for children placed in it. Meyer issued an intelligent and timely challenge to the field of child welfare to give up "debates about permanency" and, if it is not too late, to "retrieve child welfare from the control of lawyers and MBAs" [1984: 499]. If the profession of social work can more clearly define the components of foster care service and can differentiate among the children needing care those who can best be served by this type of placement, then the field will be well on its way to offering an appropriate service for certain children. Attempts to denigrate a potentially helpful service for needy children simply destroy one aspect of a complex system. A wide range of services is necessary to serve all children appropriately. Without this kind of continuum, children are more likely to receive inappropriate services and to be placed at risk.

Child↗

PubMed1996

Maternal influences on adult blood pressure of SHRs: a single pup cross-fostering study.

To examine the effects of the preweanling maternal environment on the development of adult blood pressure, individual spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) normotensive pups were reciprocally cross-fostered between mothers of the same or opposite strain. With this design, each SHR and WKY foster mother reared 7 of her own pups and 1 SHR or WKY foster pup. All litters were weaned at 21 days of age and body weights were obtained. At 110 days of age, SHR and WKY males were weighed and surgically prepared with chronic tail artery catheters. One day later, basal measures of mean arterial pressure (MAP, mmHg) and heart rate (HR, beats per min) were obtained while animals were resting and undisturbed in their home cages. Our findings indicate that adult SHRs reared by WKY foster dams displayed significant reductions in MAP compared to SHRs that were reared by their natural mothers or by SHR foster mothers. In contrast, MAPs of WKYs did not differ across rearing conditions. Weanling body weights of cross-fostered SHRs were significantly greater than control-reared SHRs while weanling body weights of cross-fostered WKYs were significantly lower than control-reared WKYs. However, by 110 days of age, there were no treatment-related effects on body weights of males of either strain. These findings underscore the importance of genotype x maternal environment interactions during the preweanling period for the development of cardiovascular phenotype in SHRs.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Cross-fostering does not alter the differential sensitivity of Fischer and Lewis rats to central neurotensin-induced locomotion and hypothermia.

A cross-fostering paradigm was used to determine whether the differential locomotor and hypothermic responses to neurotensin (NT) in Fischer (F344) and Lewis (LEW) rats are mediated by the post-natal environment. From post-natal day (PD) 1 to PD 21, male pups from each strain were assigned to a same-strain dam (in-fostered) or were cross-fostered, and at adulthood were implanted with a guide cannula over the lateral ventricle. They were then tested for locomotion and hypothermia following injection of vehicle, 0.18, 1.8 or 18nmol of NT or D-Tyr([11])NT. In-fostered LEW, but not F344, displayed a strong dose-orderly hypothermic response to NT and to D-Tyr([11])NT while in-fostered F344, but not LEW, rats displayed strong locomotor responses to D-Tyr([11])NT. Cross-fostering had no effect on D-Tyr([11])NT-induced locomotor responses in either strain; it had no effect also on NT- and D-Tyr([11])NT-induced hypothermia in F344 rats while it slightly increased the sensitivity to NT in LEW rats. The results show that these NT-mediated actions are not influenced by cross-fostering or the pre-weaning environment.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1996

Influence of inheritance and fostering on sensitivity to effects of morphine on nociception and locomotor activity in two inbred rat strains.

There are differences between individuals in their pain threshold, locomotor activity, and sensitivity to drugs of abuse which affect these processes. We have investigated the role of genetic differences and fostering in determining sensitivity to the action of morphine on nociception and locomotor activity in two strains of rats [Fischer-344 (F) and WAG/G (W)], using methods of reciprocal cross and cross-fostering. Nine-week old rats were used in the experiments. It was found that FF rats were more sensitive to the action of morphine on locomotor activity in open field apparatus than WW rats. Both types of F1 hybrids inherited a low sensitivity to the depressive action of morphine, their activity significantly differed from FF activity and had no distinction from that of WW rats. However, there was a strong maternal effect: if WW rats were fostered by a FF mother, the depression of their locomotor activity was similar to that of FF inbred rats, and vice versa. There were significant differences between normal and cross-fostered rats in all groups. WW rats had a higher sensitivity to thermal stimuli than FF rats. Both types of hybrids had intermediate nociceptive latencies. The strain difference between WW and FF rats in the baseline latencies of tail withdrawal disappeared after crossfostering-the latencies in FF rats were significantly decreased. Administration of morphine produced greater antinociception in FF rats than in WW. Cross-fostering of FF rats by WW mothers dramatically decreased their sensitivity to the analgesic action of morphine, while WW rats fostered by FF mothers did not change their resistance to morphine induced antinociception. Thus, the sensitivity of young rats to morphine-induced analgesia or depression of locomotor activity is mostly determined by fostering during the first 21 days.

Analgesics, Opioid↗

PubMed2004

Cross fostering in mice: behavioral and physiological carry-over effects in adulthood.

Cross fostering is a widely used laboratory practice. However, relatively few studies have directly investigated the carry-over effects of this procedure in adult animals. The aim of the present study is to investigate the late effects of cross fostering (CF) at birth (in litters composed of no siblings) on adult mice. When adults, cross-fostered male and female mice were examined for intrasex aggression, and levels of emotionality, exploration and anxiety. In addition, body weight was monitored, several internal organs were weighed and plasma corticosterone levels were measured. When compared to controls, body weight of CF male and female mice was increased, at least after early puberty. CF males showed smaller preputial glands, while basal corticosterone level was not affected by cross fostering. In the free-exploratory test, CF males, but not females, showed a behavioral profile suggestive of lower anxiety. These effects in adulthood cannot be ascribed to differences in the maternal care received, which was not affected by cross fostering. In conclusion, cross fostering at birth induced a number of behavioral and physiological alterations in mice, particularly in males. These findings should be carefully evaluated when applying cross fostering procedure to laboratory animals.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1990

[The establishment of pathogen-free colonies of Chinese and Syrian hamsters (Cricetulus griseus and Mesocricetus auratus) by foster rearing].

Naturally born (less than 5 d old) or hysterectomy-derived litters from 7 mice, 90 Chinese and 19 Syrian hamsters were fostered to conventional or gnotobiotic mouse, Chinese hamster or rat dams. Generally, Chinese hamsters and mice are able to serve mutually as foster mothers without special manipulations of dams or pups. Chinese hamsters adopted suckling mice with less problems than mice when fostering young hamsters. In correlation with sucking activity the growth of most of the mouse-fostered Chinese hamsters stopped during the first week after the pup exchange. During this phase only animals with high vitality could survive. When fostered by mice or rats, hysterectomy-derived (gnotobiotic) or newborn Chinese and Syrian hamsters survived only for few days. After initially intensive maternal care the hamster pups were increasingly neglected by the foster dams. This wellknown behavior is explained with the low sucking intensity of hamsters causing the decrease of the foster mother's maternal behaviour depending on the litter's stimuli. By this interaction between the mouse's maternity and the sucking behaviour of the hamster the success of the "classic" method of rearing gnotobiotic hamsters became highly chance dependent.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

The effect of foster feeding and bottle feeding expressed breast-milk on the susceptibility of guinea-pig infants to influenza virus.

Infant guinea-pigs born to mothers immunized against influenza virus by infection during pregnancy were reared from birth by non-immune foster mothers. As a control for the effects of fostering, a similar group were fostered to immune mothers. Fostering, regardless of the immune state of the foster-mother, increased the susceptibility of the infant to upper respiratory tract infection. Increased susceptibility was associated with ablation of the infants IgM and IgA antibody responses and reduced secretion of transplacentally acquired IgG antibody in nasal secretions. In the reciprocal experiment, infants of non-immune mothers fostered to immune mothers cleared virus more rapidly than their peers who were fed by their own mothers. This protective effect was associated with an enhanced nasal IgM and IgA antibody response. Infants of immune mothers separated from their mothers at birth and hand-reared on a cow's-milk-based formula feed suffered an increased susceptibility to the virus similar to that seen in fostered infants. Addition of a pool of expressed milk from a group of immune mothers, including their own, to the feed of hand-reared infants did not reduce their susceptibility. However, a further group of infants fed a non-cellular whey fraction of the same milk pool secreted significantly lower titres of virus. This increased protection was associated with elevated levels of IgG antibody secretion into nasal washes early in infection.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗

PubMed1987

Rederivation of MHV and MEV antibody positive mice by cross-fostering and use of the microisolator caging system.

This study established the feasibility of rederiving numerous mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and mouse encephalomyelitis virus (MEV) antibody positive strains of mice using cross fostering techniques and a new caging system, thus permitting introduction of virus antibody free mice into a barrier facility. Serologic status of dams within the nucleus breeding colony was determined, and all mice within the breeding colony were housed in individual Microisolator cages. Specific pathogen free (SPF) foster mothers purchased from a commercial source were determined to have no detectable serum antibody to 11 murine viruses including MEV and MHV. Pups delivered naturally from time pregnant dams were cross fostered onto the SPF foster dams. The procedure of cross fostering was conducted within a positive flow, HEPA-filtered, mass air displacement unit within 24 hours of parturition. The virus status of pups from 49 litters was monitored serologically at weaning and again at 6 weeks of age. All cross fostered litters were serologically negative for antibody to mouse hepatitis virus. Seven of 29 litters were negative for MEV antibody titer using this cross fostering technique. Those litters negative serologically to both MHV and MEV (at 3 and 6 weeks) were transferred to a barrier facility and held in isolation. All rederived mice transferred to the barrier facility remained negative for MHV and MEV when sampled at 12 weeks of age.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Mental health care utilization and expenditures by children in foster care.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the percentage of children with mental health diagnoses and utilization and expenditures of mental health services among children in foster care compared with other children receiving Medicaid, including those with disabilities. DESIGN: Analysis of Medicaid claim and eligibility records in southwestern Pennsylvania for fiscal year 1995. POPULATION: A total of 39,500 children between ages 5 and 17 years continuously eligible for Medicaid in southwestern Pennsylvania were included in the analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percentage of children with mental health diagnoses and mental and general health care utilization and expenditures classified by participation in foster care and Medicaid eligibility. RESULTS: Children in foster care were 3 to 10 times more likely to receive a mental health diagnosis, had 6.5 times more mental health claims, were 7.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for a mental health condition, and had mental health expenditures that were 11.5 times greater ($2082 vs $181) than children in the Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC) program. Overall, utilization rates, expenditures, and prevalence of psychiatric conditions for children in foster care were comparable with those of children with disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: Children in foster care are significantly more likely to suffer from mental health conditions and use more mental health and general health services than AFDC children. Service use and expenditures are comparable with those of disabled children, suggesting that reimbursement rates and care management for children in foster care need to be reexamined.

Adolescent↗