Unfolding Foster Parent Retention Using the Unfolding Model

Background

This study applied the Unfolding Model (Holt, Rehg, Lin, & Miller, 2007) to explore the utility of this theory for understanding foster parent retention. To date, theory applied to retention research is generally absent and, where applied, is limited to fostering satisfaction (Thomson, Watt, & McArthur, 2016) while neglecting family changes, including adoption, that also affect retention. The Unfolding Model encompasses several exit pathways (Script-driven, Organizational Push, Personal Push, Dissatisfaction with no Alternative, Dissatisfaction with an Alternative) and includes a decision tree approach, rather than a mathematical path model, wherein the decision sequence is informed by organizational and environmental information evaluated against personal criteria. It addresses not only why parents exit (personal and/or organizational issues) but also how they exit (abruptly versus after a buildup of reasons) (Maertz & Kmitta, 2012).

Methods

Data were taken from a longitudinal study of 113 approved foster family applicants (recruited from 1996 to 1999); 100 were located 17 years later and 94 included in this study. Data included years fostering; number of children fostered, adopted, or removed at their request; reason the last foster child left their home; a 32-item list of reasons to stop fostering, including the primary reason. The authors used this data to articulate examples for each pathway and independently coded each subject.

Results

Script-Driven foster parents (20.8%) followed a personal decision rule to quit (e.g., fostering only until they had created or completed a family). Push decisions reflected foster parents who experienced an unanticipated discrete event that forced them to reevaluate fostering. This event could be an Organization Push (14.6%) (e.g., abrupt conflict with the agency) or a Personal Push (26.0%) (e.g., job relocation, family death). Two paths reflected mounting dissatisfaction (e.g.., lack of agency support, conflict with foster home worker, seeing children sent back to bad situations, child needs to difficult to manage): Dissatisfaction with no Alternative (24.0%) included foster parents who gradually disengaged and exited fostering without any evidence of an alternative activity, and Dissatisfaction with an Alternative (14.6%), where adoption or completion of family appears to be ‘an alternative’ although neither of these was cited as primary reason. Both dissatisfaction paths reported numerous reasons for quitting (Mdn = 6.00, 10.50 respectively) compared to Mdn = 1.00 – 3.50 for the other categories. All groups were similar in terms of total number of children fostered (Mdn = 4.00 – 5.5) except for Organizational Push (Mdn = 2.00).

Implications

The Unfolding Model provides a practical, informative theory-driven approach to foster parent retention. Parents who left for personal reasons represented almost half of the sample (46.8%), yet were productive and important to the agency during their tenure. This suggests that agencies should anticipate this attrition and productivity yet explore ways to keep them engaged with the agency (e.g., respite care, mentors, advisory groups, Foster Care Review Boards). Those exiting for organizational reasons suggest that agencies address parent expectations, knowledge, and skills, in a timely manner. We suggest this model as a beginning framework for analysis in practice and research.