Recruiting carers for children in substitute care: The challenge of program revision
Titel:
Recruiting carers for children in substitute care: The challenge of program revision
Auteur:
Lawrence, Ruth
Verschenen in:
Australian social work
Paginering:
Jaargang 47 (1994) nr. 1 pagina's 37-42
Jaar:
1994-03-01
Inhoud:
Recruiting carers to look after children is central to foster care programs. This article is a case study describing foster care recruitment at a non-government agency (Burnside) in Sydney during 1988 to 1989. As there was a shortage of foster carers at the agency, the recruitment program was revised. The paper describes the program revision (aims, principles and means), the short-term results, and further research questions. The aims of the program were to recruit a general pool of carers and to recruit for specific children in the program. Recruitment campaigns were based on principles of planning, monitoring and evaluation, a long-term project, community education, targeting, and children's privacy and participation. Diverse means of recruitment were used. During a study, there were a considerable number of inquiries to the agency (331) from people interested in foster care, and the recruitment campaigns were successful in attracting 205 of these inquiries. Different means of recruitment had varying rates of response with radio announcements and newspaper advertisements attracting the highest number of inquiries in general campaigns. In campaigns for specific children non-identifying newspaper advertisements were not in this instance successful. The evaluation process highlights areas for further study in this vital area of foster care.
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