IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v142y2022ics0190740922002845.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Reasons, willingness, and intention to be a foster family: A community-sample study

Author

Listed:
  • Magalhães, Eunice
  • Costa, Patrício
  • Pinto, Vânia S.
  • Graça, João
  • Baptista, Joana
  • Ferreira, Sofia
  • Castro, Emma
  • Anjos, Catarina
  • Gouveia, Lucilina

Abstract

Research into the reasons that could lead community samples to become foster families is sparse, as most studies focus on the reasons identified by licensed or prospective foster families. The present study aims: (1) to assess the validity and reliability of the Reasons for Fostering Inventory adapted for a community sample (Portuguese version); and (2) to test the role of family factors and the different reasons for fostering as potential predictors of willingness and behavioral intention to foster. The reliability and validity of the inventory were assessed using a convenience sample of Portuguese adults (n = 441), 84 % female, aged 26–74. A three-factorial structure (self-oriented reasons, child-centered reasons, and family-related reasons) composed of 22 items was identified. The factorial structure was tested with a holdout randomization method for cross-validation. All factors were reliable, with internal consistency levels ranging from 0.85 and 0.88. Being female, younger, and scoring lower on family-related reasons and greater on child-centered reasons showed positive associations with both willingness and intention to foster. Lower scores on self-oriented reasons were associated with higher willingness to foster; while having parental experience, lower education, and greater income were associated with a higher intention to foster. This study contributes with additional psychometric evidence for this scale for use with community samples. It also provides new insight into how individual resources may be linked with willingness and intention to foster in a community sample.

Suggested Citation

  • Magalhães, Eunice & Costa, Patrício & Pinto, Vânia S. & Graça, João & Baptista, Joana & Ferreira, Sofia & Castro, Emma & Anjos, Catarina & Gouveia, Lucilina, 2022. "Reasons, willingness, and intention to be a foster family: A community-sample study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:142:y:2022:i:c:s0190740922002845
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106648
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740922002845
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106648?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Elisete Diogo & Francisco Branco, 2017. "Being a Foster Family in Portugal—Motivations and Experiences," Societies, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-14, December.
    2. De Maeyer, Skrallan & Vanderfaeillie, Johan & Vanschoonlandt, Femke & Robberechts, Marijke & Van Holen, Frank, 2014. "Motivation for foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 143-149.
    3. Raudkivi, Madli, 2020. "What factors predispose the intention to become a foster family in Estonia: Applying the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    4. Orme, John G. & Cherry, Donna J. & Brown, Jason D., 2017. "Against all odds: Vital Few foster families," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 584-593.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anjos, Catarina & Magalhães, Eunice & Graça, João & Pinto, Vânia S. & Baptista, Joana & Pinheiro, Micaela, 2023. "Perceived barriers, drivers and enablers to becoming a foster family: An exploratory study in Portugal," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    2. De Wilde, Lieselot & Devlieghere, Jochen & Vandenbroeck, Michel & Vanobbergen, Bruno, 2019. "Foster parents between voluntarism and professionalisation: Unpacking the backpack," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 290-296.
    3. Griffiths, Austin & Holderfield-Gaither, Emily & Funge, Simon P. & Warfel, Erin T., 2021. "Satisfaction, willingness, and well-being: Examining the perceptions of a statewide sample of public and private foster parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    4. Baer, Lauren & Diehl, David K., 2019. "Foster care for teenagers: Motivators, barriers, and strategies to overcome barriers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 264-277.
    5. Cooley, Morgan E. & Womack, Bethany & Rush, Jacqueline & Slinskey, Kristie, 2020. "Adverse childhood experiences among foster parents: Prevalence and association with resilience, coping, satisfaction as a foster parent, and intent to continue fostering," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    6. Cherry, Donna J. & Orme, John G., 2019. "Vital Few and Useful Many foster families from start to finish," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 172-180.
    7. Elisete Diogo & Francisco Branco, 2019. "How Do People Become Foster Carers in Portugal? The Process of Building the Motivation," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-15, August.
    8. Davi, Nicole & Jones, Jennifer & Gillen, Martie, 2021. "An exploration of the motivations and barriers to being a foster parent in Florida," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    9. Raudkivi, Madli, 2020. "What factors predispose the intention to become a foster family in Estonia: Applying the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    10. Sorek, Yoa & Ben Simon, Brachi & Nijim-Ektelat, Fida, 2020. "Motivation matters: Parents' path to adoption as related to their perceptions of open adoption," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    11. Cooley, Morgan E. & Newquist, Jennifer & Thompson, Heather M. & Colvin, Marianna L., 2019. "A systematic review of foster parent preservice training," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    12. Foussiakda, Agino Cécilia & Kasherwa, Amani Clovis, 2020. "The challenges affecting foster care in a “failed-state” context: Case of the SEDI child protection network in South-Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    13. Cooley, Morgan E. & Thompson, Heather M. & Colvin, Marianna L., 2019. "A qualitative examination of recruitment and motivation to become a Guardian ad Litem in the child welfare system," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 115-124.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:142:y:2022:i:c:s0190740922002845. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.