Introduction to the Casey Foster Family Assessments (CFFA) An Interactive Learning Module for End...

Introduction to the Casey Foster Family Assessments (CFFA)

An Interactive Learning Module for End Users

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How to Use This Learning Module

Click on the navigation buttons to move through this learning module as follows:

– Move forward to the next slide.

– Move back to the previous slide.

– Return to the Table of Contents & select new content.

– Indicate an answer to a question.

– Go to the CFFA web site Back Forward

WEB

How to View the Web Site While Using the Training Module

• During the training module we suggest links to important information on the www.fosterfamilyassessments.org web site. If you want to go to the web site to view information, click on the button. When you are finished, minimize the web site to return to the training module.

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Table of Contents

Introduction to the Module

Overview of the CFFA

Why do I need to use the CFFA?

CFFA Development

CFFA and Standards of Best Practice

Advantages of the CFFA

You can navigate to any part of the content by clicking the button next to a content area.

Introduction

This interactive learning module prepares you to use online versions of the Casey Foster Family Assessment (CFFA) tools for assessing foster and foster/ adoptive parent applicants.

Contents Back Forward Contents Back Forward

After completing this self-study module you will know about…..

• Who developed the CFFA and why it is needed

• How the CFFA responds to national, state, and local child welfare standards of best practice

• The benefits of using the CFFA

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CFFA Overview

• The CFFA has two sets of measures. – The Casey Foster Applicant

Inventory (CFAI)– Casey Home Assessment

Protocol (CHAP)

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The Casey Foster Applicant Inventory (CFAI) has two versions

• The applicant version (CFAI-A) is the applicant’s view about his or her potential

• The worker version (CFAI-W) is the worker’s view about the applicant

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There are 18 Casey Home Assessment Protocol measures

• Foster/adoptive parents applicants complete the CHAP measures to share their views about themselves

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Why do I need to use the CFFA?

Contents Back Forward

Think about foster parents you know

Answer the following questions based on your experiences with foster parents, foster care, and your agency.

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1. What % of foster parents never have children placed?

2. What % of foster parents dropout within a year of their first placements?

3. What % of foster parents say they feel prepared and supported to foster?

4. What are the costs when foster parents are not successful?

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Questions

Click to compare your experiences with studies of foster parents

Go to the next section

Studies with foster parents report…

• Approximately one-third of homes do not have placements at any one given time. Many foster parents never accept placements because they are unwilling to care for children with special needs or teens.

Click to return to questions

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Studies with foster parents cont.

• Almost half of foster parents quit within a year of their first placement. Twenty to 25 percent of foster parents quit each year and another quarter express uncertainty about continuing.

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• Over half of foster parents report not having enough information about important areas of fostering.

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• Agencies have to recruit more homes for children in care. Agencies have a less experienced pool of foster parents. Children face placement disruption and move from one new inexperienced foster home to another inexperienced foster home.

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Foster Parent Development

New foster parent

Experienced foster parents

Applicants come to agencies with a variety of previous experiences that affect their attitudes and beliefs about being a foster parent.

As they care for children and youth and work with agencies, foster parents develop greater potential to provide stable home placements that promote child well-being.

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BeliefsAttitudes

CFFA Scores

Strengths Growth Areas

Sharing Results

Foster Family Assessment Process

Worker’s KnowledgeFoster Parent’s Previous Experiences

Observations of Applicant

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CFFA Development

• Casey Family Programs developed with CFFA in collaboration with the Foster Family Project at the University of Tennessee

– Casey’s mission is to provide and improve—and ultimately to prevent the need for—foster care by promoting advances in child welfare practice and policy.

– The Foster Family Project conducts research on foster family characteristics, recruitment and retention, kinship care, motivation to foster, role understanding, willingness to foster, training and services for kinship care, and foster home utilization.


Others joined to develop the CFFA

• Foster parents

• Foster care workers

• Agency administrators

• Foster care researchers

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The CFFA was tested with experienced foster parents and foster care workers

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Refer to the CFAI and CHAP Technical Manuals to learn more about the pilot study.

Reference group of experienced foster parents

• 304 foster mothers

•111 foster fathers208 Workers

Let’s Review

The CFFA was developed with input from

A. Foster parents

B. Foster care workers

C. Foster parents and foster care workers


Yes! You are correct.

• You answered C. The CFFA was developed with input from foster parents and foster care workers about qualities and characteristics they think are important to assess. This is a good point to make when talking with applicants about the CFFA

Go to the next question


Nope. Try again.

• You answered A. Foster parents had input. So did other stakeholders.

Return to the question


Nope. Try again.

• You answered B. Foster care workers had input. So did other stakeholders.



Let’s Review

For measures completed by the applicant (CFAI-A and CHAP measures), applicants’ responses are compared withthe responses of experienced

A.Foster mothers

B.Foster mothers and foster fathers

C.Foster care workers


Yes! You are correct.

• You answered B. The normative group for the CFAI-A and CHAP is the sample of 304 foster mothers and 111 foster fathers. You know what the applicant’s responses mean in comparison to the responses of these experienced foster mothers and fathers. The CFAI-W uses foster care workers’ responses for comparison.

Proceed to the next section Back Forward

Nope. Try again.

• You answered A. CFFA norms are based on the experienced foster parents who participated in the pilot study.



Nope. Try again.

• You answered C. Foster care workers are the normative group for the CFAI-W.



The CFFA represents best practice in assessing applicants

• Complies with best practice standards– Child Welfare League of America– Casey Family Programs– National Commission on Family Foster Care

• Fits with pre-service training programs (e.g., MAPP, PRIDE, PATH, IHS)

• Based on foster family research


The CFFA adds to selection practices workers already use

• The CFFA fits with existing guidelines for selection

Preservice Training

CFAI

CHAP

Clinical Judgment

FederalGuidelines

Selection Guidelines

Decisions

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Fostering Potential

Provide a Safe Environment

Manage Demands on Well-Being

Grow as a Foster Parent

ManageLoss

Support Permanency

Support Cultural Needs

Support Birth Family Relations

Provide a Nurturing Environment

Meet Physical and Emotional Needs

Support Development

PromoteEducation

CFFA assesses fostering potential

Fostering Potential


Work as Partners with Agency

CFFA is good assessment practice

• Informs, engages, and clarifies

• Guides tasks for foster home development

• Plans for training and support

• Improves stability, safety, and well-being for children

• Increases foster parent satisfaction and retention


Advantages of the CFFA

Standardized

Reliable

Valid


More advantages…

• Assesses parenting AND unique aspects of foster parenting

• Designed specifically for foster and foster/adopt parents

• Developed with input from foster parents• Compares results with normative group

of experienced foster parents • Compatible with pre-service training

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Benefits for Workers

• Easy to use

• Guides what to ask

• Opens communication

• Suggests how to interpret information

• Makes every home study unique

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Benefits for Applicants

• Share information easily, quickly, and thoroughly

• Add to autobiographical information

• See themselves as foster/adoptive parents

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Do Not Use the CFFA Tools:

To approve or disapprove a family to foster/adopt

Without considering what else you know about the applicant


CFFA Review

Your agency is considering how to improve its assessment practices. What are three key points to share about the advantages of using the CFFA?

1. ________________________2. ________________________3. ________________________Need help answering this question? Return to the previous section

Go Ahead


CFFA Review

Which of the following is NOT a way to use information obtained from the CFFA?

A.To plan for ongoing training

B.To guide questions for further assessment

C.To approve or disapprove a family to foster


Yes! You are correct

• You answered C. You can use the CFFA results to guide further assessment and plan for training and support. You should not use the CFFA to approve or disapprove applicants without considering other information you have about the prospective foster/adoptive parent.

Proceed to the next section Back Forward

Nope. Try again

• You answered A. One use of the CFFA results is to plan for additional training and support.


Back Forward

No. Try again

• You answered B. One use of the CFFA is to guide other questions you want to ask the applicant.


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This concludes Introduction to the Casey Foster Family Assessments

Thank you for your interest in learning about the CFFA!

Other interactive self-tutorials on the CFFA:• Completing the CFAI• Completing the CHAP Measures• Sharing Information about the CFFA with Caregivers

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Introduction to the Casey Foster Family Assessments (CFFA)

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Introduction to the Casey Foster Family Assessments (CFFA) An Interactive Learning Module for End...

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