Foster Home Placement Disruption: Factors That Influence Case Planner Decision Making

This study examines risk and protective factors that influence case planner decision making around foster home placement disruption. Attitudes towards placement disruption, consideration for attachment, comfort level with difficult or hostile situations, and perceived workload manageability are hypothesized to influence the decision to disrupt a foster home placement. The Decision Making Ecology framework was used to understand individual, organizational, and external influences on child welfare decision making. A total of 265 case planners from 13 New York City contracted foster care agencies completed a modified version of the General Staff Survey paired with a hypothetical case vignette. A multiple regression analysis demonstrated the contribution of attitudes towards placement disruption, consideration for attachment, comfort level with difficult or hostile situations, and perceived workload manageability, on the decision to disrupt a placement. Attitudes towards placement disruption, consideration for attachment, and perceived workload manageability were all negatively associated with the decision to disrupt a foster home placement. Comfort level with difficult or hostile situations showed no association with the decision to disrupt a placement. Study limitations and implications for policy and practice are discussed