Planning a mentorship initiative for foster parents: Does gender matter?

Highlights

• Planning models for mentorship programs are few, particularly in the area of foster parenting.

• Existing literature suggest gender differences in the way individuals conceptualize and experience mentor programs.

• This study utilized multi-dimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis with fpster parents to conceptualize planning an effective mentor program.

• Results yielded s seven-cluster planning framework; no significant gender differences were detected in priority ratings for the conceptualization.

Abstract

Despite the use of mentoring programs in fields such as business, career training, and youth development, little is known about how mentoring can be used to train and support new foster parents. This paper describes how Concept Mapping was used with current foster parents to develop a conceptual framework suitable to plan a foster parent mentor program. A secondary aim of this study was to explore priority differences in the conceptualization by self-reported gender (foster mothers vs. foster fathers). Participant data was collected via three qualitative brainstorming sessions, and analyzed using non-metric multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. Findings indicate that foster parents participating in this study conceptualized effective mentor programs via a seven cluster solution. Study results also showed no significant differences in cluster ratings by gender. Implications for practice and program planning are identified, as well as areas for future research.

Introduction

Foster parents are tasked with caring for society’s most vulnerable children. In order to support foster parents in this endeavor, public (e.g., local and state governments) and private (e.g., private child welfare service providers) entities are looking for ways to support foster parents charged with caring for maltreated young people. One way this support has manifested itself is through the propagation of mentor initiatives that support both caregivers and the children in foster care (e.g., Cohen & Canan, 2006; Rhodes, Haight, & Briggs, 1999; Weinberger, 2014). Despite the acknowledgement that mentorship programs can support permanency and placement outcomes for children, the literature is devoid of research related to the use of mentoring for foster parents. Further, there is nominal research that examines differential planning processes for supporting foster parents through mentoring relationships. This paper seeks to uniquely address these limitations.

The purpose of this exploratory research was to examine foster parent (N = 59) perceptions related to conceptualizing a framework necessary to plan a foster parent mentor program. Additionally, this study examined priority differences in the conceptualization, by self-reported gender (i.e., foster mothers vs foster fathers). To achieve these aims, researchers employed a mixed method approach that analyzes qualitative data via quantitative device, specifically non-metric multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses. Through these analyses, illustrative visual depictions of participant data are computed. After a terse review of literature, this paper will outline methodological processes undertaken for this study, explicate results, and discuss lessons learned for future programmatic development and evaluation endeavors for mentorship programs.