1

MULTI-FACETED USE OF LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN APPROACH

Judith GourSylvie Demers

August 15th, 2006

Prescott-Russell as a parent!

We are parents in every sense of the word

Good parenting equals good outcomes.

Beverly Ann Byrne

Child Welfare

Too often, the standards represent the minimal requirements and have little to do with quality.

Conforming to the minimal standards does not equal good outcomes.

To strive for good outcomes, measurement is essential.

Tendency to measure process rather than the outcome Parents are interested in outcomes. Good intentions are simply not good enough

PURPOSE OF Looking After Children

LAC is about improving current life conditions and experiences in order to promote positive development and achieve the outcome of resilience.

Looking after children- quality effectiveness- management stand point

Quality control

Practices

Policies

Training

Values/Philosophies

Strategic Planning

Values and Philosophies

Short term/intensive services Community integration Family-oriented services No group home settings for children in care Home and Center based services Personalised intervention plans Psychosocial approach is privileged Evidence based practices Resiliency, positive psychology Social role valorization Equal rights and opportunities Experiences similar to those of other children/adults in

the community

Training

Mandatory training for board of directors, management, front line staff, foster parents and partners in the community

Ongoing training on: AAR, values, resilience, social role valorization, community integration, plan of care’s, positive parenting

2001: creation of the Valor Institute( due to high demand)

Policies

Compiled data impacted the development of new policies: No placement in group homes No more than two children in foster homes Transportation is to be provided by foster

parents Educational materials is to be purchased

and reimbursed by agency Promoting importance of post-secondary

education

Education statistics- Does…receive special education because of physical, emotional, behavioural or other problems that limits the kind or amount of school work he/she can do?

0102030405060708090

100

5-9years

5-9years no

help

10-20yrs

10-20yrs nohelp

PRSCA

ON CAS

NLSCY

Identity-Similarity in ethnicity:Are the ethnic/cultural backgrounds of the youth and at least one of his foster parents the same, similar or neither?

0102030405060708090

100

5-9years

PRSCA

10-20yrs

PRSCA

5-9yearsON

10-20yrs ON

SAME

SIMILAR

Neither

Family and Social Relationships- Is

all necessary action being taken to provide a permanent placement?

0102030405060708090

100

5-9 yrsPRSCA

10-20yrs

PRSCA

5-9 YrsON

10-20Yrs ON

Yes

Uncertain

No

Personal appearance-Overall does…personal

appearance give people the impression that he takes care of himself properly?

0102030405060708090

100

5-9years

10-20years

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

Self-care skills-Are you learning all necessary assistance to loearn

independent living skills?

0102030405060708090

100

5-9 yrs 10-20years

yes

no

Practices

Impact on agencies practices: 2005: post-education fund set aside for youth in care at a

young age 220-230 children in care= 1 child placed in a group home

setting No placement of children under the age of 6 living in a

smoking environment Giving back parenting to foster parents Creation of Outcomes and Commitments for Teens and

adults ( based on LAC philosophy) Creation of after care fund ( 18 and over) We are parents for our children until the age of 23… All post-secondary education is paid

Quality control

Internal quality control committee that review’s data on a monthly basis

Quarterly reviews of the plans of care Data review day: involve all key players

in data aggregation, interpretation and in decision making

LAC committee ( responsible for initiating and recommending changes, publicizing results)

PRSCA results on people’s lives

Good results

Good parenting

Planning ( plan of care or OAC)

Assessment of needs

Assessment of needs

Education Family and social development Health Behavioural and emotional development Identity Self-care skills Social presentation

Planning

Individualized goals and objectives In response to cultural, religious and personal

needs Building competencies based on positive

experiences Geared towards strengths Celebrating success and personal

accomplishments Permanency, consistency Sense of community, companionship Involvement of significant people in the

individual’s life

Good parenting

Ongoing training for social workers, foster and natural parents

Stability Permanency Allows children to experience the same

opportunities as their peers in the average population

Good results

Members of a family Equal rights Equal opportunities Participants in their own planning

DevelopmentalTrajectories

PAST:Adversities: Severe and prolonged adversities

PRESENT:Promotion Of Normal Development: Normal life experience and conditions (promoting protective factors while reducing risk factors

FUTURE:Resilience as an outcome

Section 4 – Overhead #1

Amanda’s life experiences before positive planning Health: Fragile, refuses to eat, vision problems, heavily medicated

Education:Segregated, extremely isolated

Identity: No concept of self, no friends, no one dreams for her future

Emotional and behavioural:Aggressive, cries constantly, self-abusive behaviours

Self-care skills: requires Assistance for everythingSocial Presentation:

Inappropriate clothing for her age, hygiene issues

Social and family: ostracized byfamily members

Amanda’s life experiences after positive planning Health: weight gain, decrease in medication,

Education:Placement in appropriate setting, one on one support, actively participates in activities

Identity: smiles, loves music, affectionate, has interests

Emotional and behavioural:Significant decrease in behaviours, stronger relationship with mother, respite

Self-care skills: feeds self, Toilet trainingSocial Presentation:

Age appropriate clothing, initiatesContacts with peers and adults

Social and family:Renewed contact with extended family, made friends,Invited to birthday parties..

Thank you!

Judith Gour : jgour@seapr.ca Sylvie Demers: sdemers@seapr.ca A copy of the material presented can be

found on our web site: www.seapr.ca