Jorge F. del Valle

(www.gifi.es)

A monitoring system for program evaluation in family foster care

CHALLENGES OF FOSTER CARE AT THE BEGINNIG OF THE 21st CENTURY– EXPERIENCES THAT CREATE THE FUTURE – BELGRADE, DEC. 2013

Principality of Asturias

First National researchDel Valle y Bravo, 2003: descriptive research by autonomous communities

Out of home placements at 31st December 2002

• The problem of program evaluation in child care

• Process and outcomes evaluation• Need for monitoring intervention

and outcomes• Implementing a new system

Contents

• Long time in residential or foster care• Changing staff• Changing placements• Changing family circumstances• Changing schools• Other professionals involved

(psychiatrists, physicians…)

The problem

How to evaluate long and complex intervention?Need for a monitoring system

Assessment and recording system for family foster care

Based on previous SERAR for residential careImplemented since 1998 in 9 autonomous Communities

SERAF SYSTEM

• Recording background• Recording changes and events1• Planning individual objectives• Assessing objectives outcomes2• Periodical report• Systematised information3

SERAR System (1996)

• Recording system for relevant case information• Individual educational planning• Assessment system to evaluate child achievement• Individual report (every six months)

PURPOSES

Method of intervention

Assessment

Program

Intervention

Evaluation

Child

Birth familyFoster family

Developmental ecologyBronfenbrenner, 1979

SERAR Estructure

• Birth Family• Foster Family• School• Community• Work (if it applies)

Main social contexts of social integration

Child

Recording system

• Birth Family Context– Legal arrangements– Parents responsibility– Family members– Visits and contacts– Family contacts with staff– Family changes and relevant events

Recording system

• Foster family context– Members– Type of fostering– Working sessions– Relevant events in foster family

Recording system

• School Context– School data (school, teacher, class...)– Marks– Relevant events in school

Recording system

• Health Monitoring– First medical examination– Medical history– Growth: weight and stature– Vaccines– Sight, hearing and denture disease– Record of sicknesses– Record of treatments and therapies

Assessment and planning

• Assessment– Data collection– Interview– Observation– Assessment tool: • child • birth family • foster family

Assessment and planning

• Assessment tool CHILD– Relationship with birth family– Relationship with foster family– Self-care and chores– School integration– Independency skills– Community integration

SERAF Procedure

• A document for each fostered child• Individual responsibility by case worker• Team decision to assess items and planning• Young people and families participation• Report every six months

Uses of SERAF

• Holds information systematically• Facilitates to assess individual needs of children and

families• Facilitates to program specific intervention for each

case• Collects data for process and outcomes evaluation• Facilitates reports to take decisions• Facilitates children and families participation• Children keep their own history

(www.gifi.es)

• THANKS!!!