Conceptualizing effective foster parent mentor programs: A participatory planning process

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.01.004

Children and Youth Services Review

Volume 73, February 2017, Pages 411-418

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.01.004 Get rights and content

Highlights

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Concept Mapping (CM) can be a valuable tool for planning and evaluation procedures of foster parent mentor programs.
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CM inherently allayed challenges to program development explicitly identified in the literature.
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CM seemed to be easily understood by foster parents in this study, which is consistent with previous studies.
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CM data outputs provided easily interpretable data for foster parent mentor program developers/managers/administrators.

Abstract

Mentor programs have been recognized as an integral tool in the child welfare services array. However, there are few conceptual frameworks for planning and developing mentor programs for a key constituency group: foster parents. This study employed Concept Mapping (CM) with a convenience sample of 59 foster parents in one southeastern state. CM is a participatory, mixed-method research approach that utilizes non-metric multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses to analyze qualitative data. As a result, pictorial representations of the data are generated. Results yielded seven (7) distinct clusters: Ongoing Supports, Matching Practices, and Program Evaluation, among others. Participants viewed the Recruitment cluster as most pertinent and most important for mentor programs. Contrariwise, Program Evaluation and Matching clusters were viewed as least feasible and least important, respectively. After a review of pertinent literature, this paper explicates CM methodology as applied to the current study, reports results, and discusses lessons learned as they apply to child welfare research and practice.

Introduction

Over the past two decades, mentor programs have received much attention in the child welfare literature. The proliferation of these programs in child welfare can be attributed, at least in part, to federal legislation. The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 (FICA; P.L. 106–169), specifically sub-section 477, permitted the use of federal funding for the mentorship of youth in foster care. In addition to this policy consideration, evidence has amassed related to the positive impact of mentorship programs. For instance, authors have postulated that these programs can positively impact biological parents' ability to navigate complex governmental systems (Cohen & Canan, 2006), can assist foster parents in dealing with problematic youth behaviors (Rhodes, Orme, & Buehler, 2001), and help impact prosocial youth behaviors in kinship placement arrangements (Weinberger, 2014), among other effects.

Despite the promise of mentorship programs in assuaging challenges associated with the child welfare system, the current literature is overwhelmingly focused on the implementation of these initiatives with young people. Specifically, very few, if any, published works address the conceptualization, implementation, and evaluation of mentorship initiatives among a key child welfare constituency: foster parents. This paper seeks to contribute to addressing this dearth in the literature.

The purpose of this study was to explicate a conceptual framework for the development of a foster parent mentor program; this paper details that process. Researchers utilized Concept Mapping (CM) with a convenience sample of 59 foster parents in one southeastern state. CM is a participatory, mixed-method research approach that utilizes non-metric multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses to analyze qualitative data (Kane & Trochim, 2007). As a result, pictorial representations of the data are generated. After a brief review of pertinent literature, this paper will delineate CM processes utilized in this study, report results, and discuss lessons learned as they apply to child welfare research and practice.

Section snippets

Understanding mentoring

Mentoring, specifically in the context of programming, can be an elusive term to conceptualize and define (Colley, 2003, Greenwood and Habibi, 2014). In part, this difficulty can be attributed to divergent terminology associated with mentorship programs. Eller, Lev, and Feurer (2014) asserted that over 50 definitions for the term mentor can be found in the social services literature. As well, the form and function of mentorship programs can vary greatly (Garvey, Stokes, & Megginson, 2014).

Method

To answer the research questions posed above, the researchers utilized Concept Mapping (CM). CM uniquely integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches in a multi-step process that entails group processes (brainstorming, sorting, rating) and multivariate statistical analysis, namely multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis (Kane & Trochim, 2007). Through this mixed-method process, visual representations and illustrations of participant data are formed.

CM has been used in a

Results

Results from this study are outlined in the paragraphs below. Please note that these sections contain ancillary commentary relevant to the results. This presentation of CM results is consistent with previously published works involving CM (e.g., Anderson, Day, & Vandenburg, 2011). Table 2 includes clusters, examples of statements, and bridging value statistics.

Discussion

The purpose of this study was to delineate a conceptual framework for the development of a foster parent mentor programs, from the perspective of foster parents, and explore priority ratings among aspects of the conceptualization. To this end, this study uniquely contributes to the literature in two explicit ways. First, this study explicates a structure for the development of foster parent mentor programs. Second, this paper documents a participatory research process that can be adapted to

Lessons learned: implications for service planning

Indubitably, developing a foster parent mentor program can be a complex and laborious undertaking. Though studies that document conceptual processes are pertinent, there remains a dearth in the literature related to these undertakings. In discussing this limitation, Collins (2015) explained that the conceptualization of child welfare programming is a “critical and often overlooked task” (p. 161).

In several ways, data from this study offers pragmatic steps to actualize some of the seminal,

Conclusion

Indeed, as Scannapieco and Painter (2014) aptly summarized, the development of mentor programs should be “slow and well-planned” (p. 178). In terms of foster care, these plans should be rooted in the perspectives of a primary constituency group: foster parents. This paper documents such a process for engaging foster parents in the process of program development. If mentor initiatives are to meet their full promise, researchers must continue to explore conceptual models for the development of

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One program coordinator said this: “I know that crisis – it pushes [mentees] towards the mentor – so that's the upside there.” Social and emotional supports are crucial to satisfaction and longevity for foster parenting (Geiger, Hayes, & Lietz, 2013; Leathers et al., 2019) and there is emerging evidence that peer mentorship is an effective mechanism through which to provide this support (Meyers et al., 2013; Miller et al., 2017; Pope et al., 2020). Mentoring is a well-established strategy to support foster youth and birth parents (Berrick et al., 2011; Cohen, & Canan, 2006; Scannapieco, & Painter, 2014; Thompson et al., 2016).
Mentoring of new foster parents aids in retention which is critical to reducing transitions for foster youth. Despite adaptable models for foster parent mentoring programs, and the documented efficacy in increasing retention and improving engagement, mentoring programs are not universal. A case study design was used to explore the structure and role of communication to provide a foundation for implementing a foster parent mentoring program.
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While appropriate for an exploratory study of this type, future studies can triangulate mentor/ mentee data with the voices of program coordinators; other studies might examine foster parent mentoring programs at a national level. While there is extensive literature regarding the value of mentoring in multiple disciplines (Abiddin & Hassan, 2010; Erdem et al., 2016; Struchen et al., 2011) as well as within the field of child welfare (Cohen & Canan, 2006; Miller et al., 2017; Weinberg, 2014), little empirical attention has focused on utilizing mentoring to support and develop new foster parents. Social and emotional supports are critical to foster parent satisfaction and longevity in fostering, and mentorship is one mechanism through which to provide this support (Geiger et al., 2013).
Despite the use of mentor programs within child welfare, few studies have examined relational issues between matched pairs of mentors/mentees. This qualitative study uses interpretive description and adapted dyadic analysis to explore the challenges faced by new foster parents and how foster parent mentors council them through these challenges. Using in depth interviewing, primary data were collected from mentor/ mentee dyads (N = 22). Emergent themes were permitting grief, taking breaks, setting boundaries, and attending to the needs of the family. This study contributes to extant knowledge by identifying ways in which foster parent mentoring can help new foster parents remain engaged, promote placement stability, and support competency.
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Consequently, caution is advised in generalizing the results. For validity, the study could be replicated using the same question with a different group of foster care workers (Miller et al., 2017). This study identified characteristics that are associated with successful foster parenting according to foster care workers.
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View full text

Conceptualizing effective foster parent mentor programs: A participatory planning process

Highlights

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Understanding mentoring

Method

Results

Discussion

Lessons learned: implications for service planning

Conclusion

Nurse Education Today

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

International Journal of Nursing Studies

Children and Youth Services Review

Children and Youth Services Review

Nurse Education Today

Children and Youth Services Review

Evaluation and Program Planning

Evaluation and Program Planning

Using a concept map as a tool for strategic planning: The healthy brain initiative

Preventing Chronic Disease

The potential contribution of mentor programs to relational permanency for youth aging out of foster care

Child Welfare

Mentoring youth in foster care: Emerging research and lessons from the field

Closer to home: Parent mentors in child welfare

Child Welfare

Engagement mentoring for ‘disaffected’ youth: A new model of mentoring for social inclusion

British Educational Research Journal

Macro perspectives on youths aging out of foster care

Mentor matching

The Journal of Nursing Administration

Productivity loss in idea-generating groups: Tracking down the blocking effect

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

The needs of children with life-limiting conditions: A healthcare-provider-based model

American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine

Effectiveness of mentoring programs for youth: A meta-analytic review

American Journal of Community Psychology

Are mentoring programs a worthwhile social investment?

Psychological Science in the Public Interest

Research with children: Methodological issues and innovative techniques

Journal of Early Childhood Research

Effectiveness of mentor programs: A review of the literature from 1995 to 2000

Coaching and mentoring: Theory of practice

A tide to raise all boats–structured mentorship as a race-neutral option for happier and more diverse residents

Annals of Surgery

Translating cancer control research into primary care practice: A conceptual framework

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine

Strategies for mentor matching: Lessons learned

CTS Journal

Strengths of aboriginal foster parents

Journal of Child and Family Studies

Communicating in mentoring relationships: A theory for enactment

Communication Theory

Concept mapping for planning and evaluation

Content analysis. An introduction to its methodology