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    An evaluation of the neurosequential model of therapeutics to guide trauma-informed foster care in the New Zealand context : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024-05-12) de Bruin, Marike
    The health and well-being of children in foster care remain a clinical, as well as public health concern, both internationally and in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Children in care often have histories of significant trauma exposure, in particular to abuse, neglect and domestic violence. The link between adverse childhood experiences and poor adult outcomes in physical, mental, emotional, and social health, is well established in the literature and necessitates further research on responding to and treating children exposed to complex trauma in early life. Trauma-informed foster care has emerged in recent years as an intentional therapeutic approach to responding to the complex needs of children in care. The objective of this present study is to contribute to the field of evidence-based family trauma-informed foster care in the New Zealand context. The focus of this dissertation is on evaluating the use of a neurodevelopmental clinical problem-solving tool, the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), developed by Dr Bruce Perry from The Neurosequential Network, to guide a trauma-informed and therapeutic approach to family foster care standards within the context of a New Zealand social service organisation. A mixed-method research design was used to explore the experiences of foster parents and frontline staff involved in using and implementing this model, as well as conduct an initial outcome evaluation of its impact on children’s mental health difficulties and behavioural functioning. The results of the study suggest that the NMT is a useful and relevant tool to guide trauma-informed care in the New Zealand foster care context, and is associated with promising positive outcomes.
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    Relationships matter : caregiver experience of contact/access planning practice and outcomes for permanency : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work at Massey University, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Nielson-Vold, Kristin
    When children are removed from parental care and placed out of home it is generally expected that birth family contact will occur. This commitment to birth family contact is based on beliefs about its psychological and emotional importance for children and is protected and enshrined in national and international policy. Literature clearly outlines, however, that birth family contact is one of the most complex and contested areas of practice for social workers and is often difficult for caregivers. This research set out to examine how caregivers in New Zealand experienced social worker practice in relation to contact planning. The aims of this research were to: critically explore caregivers’ experience of social work practice in regards to contact planning for children progressing to their permanent care; and identify processes and practices that were helpful for caregivers, pre-permanency, which supported quality outcomes post-permanency. To achieve these aims, a qualitative approach was utilised involving six semi-structured interviews of seven kin and non-kin caregivers. Research questions included: · How did caregivers’ experience social work practice in regards to contact planning? · What processes and practices were helpful for caregivers to support post-permanency outcomes? · What recommendations do caregivers have to improve quality contact outcomes post- permanency? A rather disheartening picture of social work contact practice emerged with caregiver experiences generally ranging from dissatisfying through to distressing. Several key findings were identified by caregivers in this research including, exclusion from decision-making processes, lack of information, limited support, lack of assessment, and limited relational practice by social workers. The findings of this research echo similar research both in New Zealand and internationally in relation to social work contact practices and the experiences of caregivers. Given this consistency of experience for caregivers, additional factors were examined to help provide explanations for the ongoing issues for caregivers, including organisational practice and culture. Recommendations were made which focused on contact experiences, assessment processes, training, policy, and the importance of relationship, to strengthen practice in this challenging area of work and improve caregiver experiences.
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    Defining educational success through the eyes of young people who have been in foster care : a qualitative case study : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Miller, Hannah
    All children have the right to an education and a voice, as protected by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, ratified by New Zealand in 1993. Children and young people in foster care face unique and often challenging experiences that can make them vulnerable to having these basic rights eroded. This study explored how educational success was determined by young people who were in, or had been in, foster care. Specifically, this research addressed how success in educational experiences is identified and enacted by foster care experienced young people, and in what ways formal and informal educational experiences are perceived by, and impact on, these young people’s lives. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants, aged between 16 and 29 years old, who had experienced foster care and compulsory education in New Zealand. Interviews were analysed using grounded theory. The findings showed that educational successes as identified by young people in this study were broad and holistic. They navigated complex obstacles posed by living in foster care and these impacted on learning and interactions within school. Specific experiences of success differed between participants, and ranged from social acceptance and a sense of belonging, varying degrees of achievement at school, to simply turning up to school. Young people demonstrated marked resilience throughout the challenges they faced, which was both supportive to success, and a success in itself. Relationships with teachers, foster carers and friends were key supports to success, along with having a voice, influence over decisions and having an advocate. The implications of this study include a broadening of the concept of educational success—a concept that takes on different meanings according to people’s values and life experiences. Given the unique life experiences of children and young people in foster care, there is imperative to create space for the voices of children and young people in foster care to both determine and define what educational success means, and they need their rights to share these perspectives to enhance their own educational experiences.
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    The foster caregiving relationship with newborns who have feeding difficulties : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Arts endorsed in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Hann, Nari
    The purpose of this study was to expand on foster care and attachment literature by investigating how the relationship is impacted between a foster caregiver and newborn who experiences feeding difficulties. The most common types of feeding difficulties experienced include reflux, allergies, colic, arousal to feed, and sucking problems, with prenatal methamphetamine exposure being the most frequently cited reason for causality. Newborns who have been prenatally exposed to methamphetamine are at higher risk of preterm births. Prematurity has been widely associated with developmental issues in newborns, such as poor sucking reflexes. All newborns discussed in this study were of Māori descent, highlighting a possible association between Māori children in care and feeding difficulties. This association is thought to be strengthened by the social determinants faced by many Māori, and the punitive neo-liberal nature of the welfare system. Phenomenological interpretive analysis was used to understand the experiences of seven foster caregivers who were highly skilled in caring for newborns with feeding difficulties, and how the feeding difficulties could impact the attachment relationship and contribute to placement breakdowns. Additionally, the strategies that foster caregivers used to minimise the impact of the difficulty and optimise attachment interactions were explored. The feeding difficulties of newborns were found to make attachment interactions more difficult to achieve, but due to the fortitude of the caregivers in providing the best opportunities for newborns in their care, attachment interactions were reportedly always accomplished. Although feeding difficulties placed extra demand on the caregiver role, the commitment and motivation of the caregivers, and the intervention strategies they used to reduce the impact, promoted bonding and stabilised placements. Therefore, feeding difficulties were not associated with placement breakdowns. Rather, unanticipated extended placement timeframes, which impacted the caregiver’s ability to provide a consistent and stable environment, were found to be more detrimental to the placement stability. Understanding feeding difficulties and their impact on attachment for babies in foster care is crucial when caring for the nation’s most vulnerable citizens and ensuring that they have the greatest opportunities for healthy development from the start of their lives.
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    Why place Māori children with Māori caregivers? : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Work (Applied) Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2009) Montgomery, Mary Avril
    This qualitative study explores the concepts of customary care, recognising the Maori worldview and emphasising the value of placing Maori children with Maori caregivers. It examines the establishment of the Matua Whangai Programme in the context of the social/political issues of the 1980-1990s and the impact of legislation and reports on the placement of Maori children outside of whanau. The participants in this study were three caregivers m the Matua Whangai Programme. They each had experience of customary care practice in their own whanau and who generalised this experience in the context of the Matua Whangai programme. In this community, the Matua Whangai programme ran from 1985 to 1991. The study shows that when the programme was disestablished, not only did Maori children lose access to whanau whangai (foster families), the community also lost tribal linkages, both locally and nationally, along with effective networks with other social and governmental agencies established by Matua Whangai within the Lower South Island
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    Context, identity and connection : an examination of resilience in New Zealand foster children : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2014) Cornelius, Gabrielle Marlaina
    The purpose of this research is to examine resilience in New Zealand foster children, with a focus on the relationships foster children form with the foster parents who care for them and the ways that resilience is built and displayed within foster care. While there is a range of international research examining resilience in children in state care, research into relational aspects of resilience is rare, particularly in a New Zealand context. This investigation involves one-on-one interviews and small focus groups with foster carers, asking open-ended questions about resilience, attachment and relationships to elicit their opinions and experiences with the children they have fostered. Using the process of thematic analysis, four major themes were developed, entitled (1) Participant understandings of resilience, (2) Identity, (3) Connection, and (4) Outcomes. These themes are compared to existing research, and new theories are proposed relating to the contextuality of resilience and the connection between a sense of identity and the building of supportive relationships with others. Two models are proposed to reconceptualise resilience in foster children, suggesting that behaviours typically seen as problematic may be resilient behaviours that have failed to adapt to a new environment, and that a strong sense of self and the ability to form meaningful connections with others are mutually reinforcing. The limitations of this research are discussed, in addition to implications for further research and suggestions for application in the foster care system.
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    Do supported transitions from foster care achieve better outcomes for young people? : an evaluation of young people's perspectives and experiences of Dingwall Trust's Launch Care to Independence service : a research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the Master of Social Work (Applied), Massey University, Albany campus
    (Massey University, 2010) Abbott, Davinia
    Readiness to live independently vs. the age a young person is forced to do so ("Ageing out of care") is a much debated issue within the research on foster care leavers and as a response programmes designed to facilitate a young person's transition from care began emerging internationally during the 1990s under an umbrella of transition from care (TFC) schemes. In New Zealand a TFC initiative was established, by the Statutory Department of Child, Youth and Family Services, in Auckland in 2004 and delivered by the non-government agencies Dingwall Trust and Youth Horizons which developed pilot TFC schemes. This research aims to evaluate the continued need and effectiveness of Dingwall Trust's scheme, Launch Care to Independence (CTI) Service, through the shared opinions and experiences of young people who were placed in foster care and transitioned on to independent living through engagement with this programme. This study explores the challenges faced by youth who have left care within a New Zealand cultural context. Seven young people agreed to take part in this study and participated in a semi-structured interview process with a qualitative research design. An analysis of the interview data found that a young person's journey in foster care did impact their transition to independent living both in positive and negative ways. The assistance provided through the Launch CTI Service was perceived as necessary, relevant and young person focussed. The outcomes achieved through their engagement with the programme were generally good in areas of accommodation, continued education aspirations and living skills; however other areas such as employment and leaving school educational attainment revealed poorer outcomes for the majority of the group. The findings suggested that consistent, innovative and participatory relationships between young people and their Social Worker are most likely to develop a pathway in which positive outcomes can be achieved by the young person. This paper also illustrated the vulnerability of young people during their foster care experiences and the integral role of informal social networks in the provision of long-term support for young people transitioning to independent living.
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    Happy birthday-- goodbye! : a study into the readiness and preparedness for independent living of foster care adolescents facing automatic discharge from the custody of the state upon reaching the age of seventeen years : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement of a Master of Social Work, Turitea Campus, Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa/New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2000) Ward, Trish
    Under the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act, 1989, a young person becomes an adult at seventeen. Young people in the statutory custody of the Chief Executive of Child, Youth and Family are automatically discharged on their seventeenth birthday. The implications of mandatory discharge of custody at seventeen are unresearched in this country. Extensive studies overseas show that foster care adolescents tend to be unprepared for independent living, and that their transition to adult living most often requires, but does not receive, a major input of funding, services and support. This study examines the nature, experiences and needs of adolescents encountering mandatory discharge in Aotearoa!New Zealand. It develops the understanding, through a theoretical framework which includes attachment, identity and ecological theories, that what happens before and throughout time in care affects individual readiness for discharge; and that preparation for discharge, coupled with a young person's unique ability to respond to preparation, affects the ability to manage independently after care. Analysing perceptions of the 'child as a cost', the study considers the economic and political environment in which discharge from care is effected in this country. The study reveals a system of care that provides accommodation for, and, at times, treats the adolescent, but which generally places insufficient priority on preparation for discharge and independent living after care. The study challenges the appropriateness of a chronologically determined definition of adulthood in the light of a population of young people who have major life skill deficiencies, who are sorely in need of ongoing intervention to enhance and increase social competence, and who, rather than 'achieving' independence, simply 'age out' of care, their dependency needs transferring to other social agencies. The thesis concludes with recommendations for policy, social work, and further research.
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    Fostering relationships : the organisation of attachment in foster care : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2003) Dorée, Anne Christine
    Externalising behaviour is known to compromise stability and continuity of care for children who have been maltreated, and who may enter statutory care with insecure or disorganised attachments. The objective of this study was to increase understanding of the significance, function and development of enduring relationships between substitute caregivers and children in need of care and protection. The study examined the contribution of foster parent relational qualities and specifically whether adult attachment dimensions are implicated in the potential for security and stability in fostered children. It also sought to identify children's behaviour that may contribute to the development of the relationship. In the Eastern Bay of Plenty, 24 fostering relationships were examined via self report questionnaires and interviews with foster parents, children and social workers. The children in care were aged between 6 and 12 years. Bi-variate correlations and linear regression analyses indicated that secure attachment in adults contributed significantly to felt security and potential stability for children and was also associated with the children's increasing capacity for self regulation and the children's own ratings of self worth. Findings overall appear to indicate that the organisation of attachment in foster care in this study is a function of both adult and child factors. In particular, the potential for stability and security was greater for children who were expressive of distress at the time of transition into the placement and who could subsequently initiate relationship interactions, compared to avoidant children. Results are discussed in terms of practice models for intervention and foster care.
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    Ties that bind : attachment formation in the maltreated preadolescent child placed in long term foster care
    (Massey University, 1999) Chinnery, Shirley-Ann
    While the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989 enshrines the primacy of family placement for children in need of care and protection, it simultaneously acknowledges by way of S.13 (h) that for some children this may not be a viable, available or safe option and where such circumstances prevail, children are to be given the opportunity to develop an alternate psychological tie to caregivers other than their primary kin. lt is this small group of children who require long term alternate care that are of primary interest to this thesis. The legislative principle that mandates this practice is founded, in large part, on attachment theoretic assumptions. This conceptual framework also informs the current study. This research aims to investigate, by way of the case study method, the attachment experiences of a small sample of previously maltreated, New Zealand European preadolescent children in long term state care. The effects their attachment experiences have on the formation of a new attachment relationship with alternate caregivers and the facilitative or impeding role played by social workers and their organisation (NZCYPFA) in regard to the development of this relationship are examined. The field work involved a multimodal exploration of the above relationships and included four sets of participants: a key informant group, three social workers, five caregivers and three preadolescent children. Fundamental to this research is the need to identify factors integral to performing a social work assessment of attachment of both prospective caregivers and the preadolescent child requiring placement. Foster care literature, drawing on attachment theoretic constructs, would suggest that this process is imperative to making sound placement decisions and for ensuring placement stability (Thoburn, 1997; McAuley, 1996; Triseliotis, Sellick & Short, 1995). Attachment theory indicates that placement stability is linked to caregiver sensitivity and the development of relational mutuality (Brethefton, 1996; 1993; 1987; Howes & Segal, 1993; Marcus, 1991). These variables have also been associated with relational continuity which in turn has been implicated in positive developmental outcomes for children (Lyons-Ruth, 1996; Cicchetti, Toth & Lynch, 1995; Bowlby, 1988; 1982; 1980; 1973). This thesis documents similar findings, and concludes with a set of recommendations for social work policy, practice and future research.