No CrossRef data available.
Article contents
Foster care trends in a Western Australian non-government family welfare agency 1991-1999
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 February 2016
Abstract
Wanslea Family Services (WFS), a non-government family welfare agency in Perth, has provided foster care placements for the Western Australian Department of Family and Children's Services for many years. Data about these children and their families is held in a comprehensive electronic database that covers the period 1991-1999. This 9-year data set is unique in Western Australia and may be unique nationally.
An analysis of this data indicates no significant variation across the nine year period for age at admission of children to foster care. In contrast, a statistically significant cubic trend was found for length of episode of care indicating that the duration of foster care placements significantly varied across the nine year period. Analyses of gender for both age at admission and length of foster care showed significant differences but only for particular years. In 1995 females were significantly younger than males while in 1998 males were significantly younger than females. Only in 1998 was length of episode of care significant when it was shorter for males than females. Possible explanations for these results are discussed.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2002
References
Ainsworth, F. (1993) ‘Family preservation services: A cautionary note’, Children Australia, 18, 2, 10–12.Google Scholar
Ainsworth, F. & Maluccio, A.N. (1998a) ‘The policy and practice of family reunification’, Australian Social Work, 51, 1, 3–7.Google Scholar
Ainsworth, F. & Maluccio, A.N. (1998b) ‘Kinship care: False dawn or new hope?’, Australian Social Work, 51, 4, 3–8.Google Scholar
Bath, H. & Haapala, D.A. (1994) ‘Family preservation services: What does the outcome research really tell us’, Social Services Review, 68, 9, 386–404.Google Scholar
Bath, H. (1994) ‘Intensive family preservation services: Do they have a place in Australia?’, Children Australia, 19, 1, 10–16.Google Scholar
Coakes, S.J. & Steed, L.G. (1999) SPSS: Analysis without anguish, Brisbane: Jacaranda Wiley.Google Scholar
Goerge, R., Wulczyn, F. & Harden, A. (1996) ‘New comparative insights into states and their foster children’. Public Welfare, 53, 3, 12–24.Google Scholar
Lahti, J., Green, K., Emien, A., Clarkson, J., Quentin, D., Kuehnel, M. & Casciato, J. (1978) A follow-up study of the Oregon project, Portland, OR: Regional Research Center for Human Services. Portland State University.Google Scholar
Maluccio, A.N., Warsh, R. & Pine, B.A. (1993) Together again. Family reunification in foster care, Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America.Google Scholar
McCotter, D. & Oznan, H. (1981) Children in limbo. An investigation into the circumstances and needs of children in long term care in Western Australia, unpublished report, Perth: Department for Community Welfare.Google Scholar
Scott, D. (1993) ‘Introducing family preservation services in Australia: Issues in transplanting programs from the United States’, Children Australia, 18, 2, 3–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, D. (1995) ‘Child protection: Paradoxes of publicity, policy and practice’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, 30, 1, 71–94.Google Scholar
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (1999) Base 10.0 Applications Guide, Chicago, II: SPSS Inc.
Google Scholar
Whittaker, J.K., Kinney, J., Tracey, E.M. & Booth, C. (1990) Reaching high risk families. Intensive family preservation services in human services, New York: Aldine de Gruyter.Google Scholar