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!!!
