Caring for children in foster and kinship care during a pandemic: lessons learned and recommendations

Loria, Hilda; McLeigh, Jill D.; Wolfe, Kristin L.; Conner, Erinne; Smith, Valerie; Greeley, Christopher S.; Keefe, Rachael J.

doi:10.1080/15548732.2021.1965065

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…). The challenges faced by children in foster care were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, where access to healthcare, education, and behavioral and social services were disrupted (Loria et al, 2021). Public health crises, which involve disruptions to social services, the health sector, and more, like the COVID-19 pandemic, have the potential to disproportionately impact the foster care system.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on stress and Access to Services for Licensed and Kinship Caregivers and Youth in Foster Care

Beal

Nause

Greiner

2022

Child Adolesc Soc Work J

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Children in foster care in the United States face unique challenges related to access to health and education services. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many of those services were temporarily disrupted, adding burden to an already strained system. This observational study describes the experiences of licensed and kinship caregivers (N = 186) during the peak of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and as restrictions to services were lifted, to understand the overall impact of COVID-19 on this already vulnerable population. Purposive sampling methods were used, where caregivers known to have received placement of children prior to, during, and following COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were identified and recruited to complete a 45-minute phone-administered survey assessing stress, risks for contracting COVID-19, strain resulting from COVID-19, and access to services for children in foster care in their care across five domains: healthcare, mental health, education, child welfare, and family visitation. Differences by caregiver type (licensed, kinship) and timing in the pandemic were examined. Licensed and kinship caregivers reported similar social and economic impacts of COVID-19, including similar rates of distress for themselves and the youth placed with them. Almost half of caregivers experienced challenges accessing mental health services, with access to services more disrupted during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Caregiver reports regarding the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 were similar across the study, suggesting that lessened restrictions have not alleviated strain for this population.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on stress and Access to Services for Licensed and Kinship Caregivers and Youth in Foster Care

Beal

Nause

Greiner

2022

Child Adolesc Soc Work J

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“…The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges to almost every aspect of the lives of parents and their children ( Wu & Xu, 2020 ), with various problems arising from lockdown, social isolation, home and work-life imbalance, and fear of the pandemic. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of children in Child Protective Services is considered to be long-term ( Caldwell et al, 2020 ; Loria et al, 2021 ). Families not only continue to face challenges, but also the COVID-19 pandemic is believed to be having a wide-ranging impact on societies and families ( Marmor et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussion and Concluding Thoughtsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The voices of parents in child protective services: A qualitative analysis of families’ struggles with COVID-19

Toros

Falch‐Eriksen

2022

Developmental Child Welfare

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The pandemic of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected children and families worldwide, disrupting their daily lives and well-being. A small-scale study involving 13 parents in Child Protective Services in Estonia was conducted using in-depth, semi-structured interviews to explore parents’ experiences with COVID-19 and its impact on their families’ well-being. The findings indicated that one of the areas most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic was schooling, as the implementation of remote schooling often created tensions and conflicts at home. Parents reported regression in daily functioning, attributing this to the lack of supportive services during lockdown and additional distress resulting from increased workload at home and problems with balancing home and work life. Parents were exhausted by the various problems caused by the pandemic and questioned their ability to provide their children the support they needed. Discontinuation of services intensified existing challenges for both parents and children. Furthermore, a lack of trust in Child Protective Services was identified, serving as a barrier to asking for help in times of crisis.

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“…Child welfare professionals were required to pivot from a face-to-face practice modality to working remotely and communicating with clients through virtual approaches -contributing a new set of stresses. Systemwide shortcomings associated with technology, infrastructure, and the need for improved training became increasingly evident (Loria et al, 2021;Schwab-Reese, Drury, Allan, & Matz, 2020;Seay & McRell, 2021). Concerns about the pandemic's impact on child welfare practice (e.g., increased levels of maltreatment and placements, etc.)…”

Section: Covid-19 and Child Welfarementioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological evidence of escalating stress during COVID-19: a longitudinal assessment of child welfare workers

Griffiths

Link

Haughtigan

et al. 2023

Journal of Public Child Welfare

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Studies have shown that stress has contributed to employee turnover and retention problems for agencies, and at the individual level, chronic stress has been associated with coronary heart disease, anxiety, depression, and many other negative effects. In the past, the extent of stress one has felt has been measured by subjective paper-and-pencil instruments; however, recent technological advances have improved our ability to obtain accurate biofeedback assessments from wearable instruments. The Kentucky Child Welfare Workforce Wellness Initiative is the first known study to explore physiological stress in a sample (n = 32) of child welfare professionals using biometric technology (Firstbeat Bodyguard 2) and the first to report that data longitudinally over a four-month period. The study revealed that a variable associated with the strength of the Autonomic Nervous System (RMSSD) remained below the norms for a healthy population as participants experienced consistent and prolonged physiological stress. When examined relatively to the agency's lifting of COVID restrictions and returning to face-to-face service delivery, stress levels began to further rise almost to significant levels (p < .10) and the participants' ability to achieve a state of physiological relaxation significantly decreased. Future research employing biometric technology is also suggested.

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Caring for children in foster and kinship care during a pandemic: lessons learned and recommendations

Cited by 13 publications

References 35 publications

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on stress and Access to Services for Licensed and Kinship Caregivers and Youth in Foster Care

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on stress and Access to Services for Licensed and Kinship Caregivers and Youth in Foster Care

The voices of parents in child protective services: A qualitative analysis of families’ struggles with COVID-19

Physiological evidence of escalating stress during COVID-19: a longitudinal assessment of child welfare workers

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