IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v81y2017icp229-237.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of worker and agency characteristics on FGC referrals in child welfare

Author

Listed:
  • Allan, Heather
  • Harlaar, Nicole
  • Hollinshead, Dana
  • Drury, Ida
  • Merkel-Holguin, Lisa

Abstract

Guided by the Decision Making Ecology framework, this study examined data from a large urban child welfare jurisdiction consisting of two neighboring counties to explore reasons behind substantial variation in caseworkers' rates of referrals to Family Group Conferences (FGC), a common practice in child welfare both nationally and internationally. The results indicate that time in current position and perceptions of supervisor competence and leadership support were significantly associated with a worker's propensity to refer to FGC. Specifically, caseworkers with fewer years in their current position and those who reported lower ratings on their supervisor's competence and leadership's support made a higher number of referrals. The results reinforce the notion that even in the presence of policy mandates, such factors should be monitored and addressed by agencies concerned with consistent program implementation. Future studies should seek to replicate these findings in other jurisdictions and test for effective interventions to mitigate the impact of individual worker characteristics on actual implementation of mandated practices.

Suggested Citation

  • Allan, Heather & Harlaar, Nicole & Hollinshead, Dana & Drury, Ida & Merkel-Holguin, Lisa, 2017. "The impact of worker and agency characteristics on FGC referrals in child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 229-237.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:81:y:2017:i:c:p:229-237
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.08.013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740917301317
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.08.013?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. Sheets, Janess & Wittenstrom, Kim & Fong, Rowena & James, Joyce & Tecci, Michael & Baumann, Donald J. & Rodriguez, Carolyne, 2009. "Evidence-based practice in family group decision-making for Anglo, African American and Hispanic families," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(11), pages 1187-1191, November.
    2. Arad-Davidzon, Bilhah & Benbenishty, Rami, 2008. "The role of workers' attitudes and parent and child wishes in child protection workers' assessments and recommendation regarding removal and reunification," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 107-121, January.
    3. Fluke, John D. & Corwin, Tyler W. & Hollinshead, Dana M. & Maher, Erin J., 2016. "Family preservation or child safety? Associations between child welfare workers' experience, position, and perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 210-218.
    4. Ellett, Alberta J., 2009. "Intentions to remain employed in child welfare: The role of human caring, self-efficacy beliefs, and professional organizational culture," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 78-88, January.
    5. Westbrook, Tonya M. & Ellett, Alberta J. & Asberg, Kia, 2012. "Predicting public child welfare employees' intentions to remain employed with the child welfare organizational culture inventory," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1214-1221.
    6. Emily Keddell, 2014. "Current Debates on Variability in Child Welfare Decision-Making: A Selected Literature Review," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-25, November.
    7. Wells, Susan J. & Fluke, John D. & Brown, C. Hendricks, 1995. "The decision to investigate: Child protection practice in 12 local agencies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 523-546.
    8. Ryan, Joseph P. & Garnier, Philip & Zyphur, Michael & Zhai, Fuhua, 2006. "Investigating the effects of caseworker characteristics in child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(9), pages 993-1006, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Myers, Christina & Garcia, Antonio & Beidas, Rinad & Yang, Zixiaojie, 2020. "Factors that predict child welfare caseworker referrals to an evidence-based parenting program," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    2. Kearney, Aubrey D. & Wilson, Elisabeth S. & Hollinshead, Dana M. & Poletika, Michael & Kestian, Heather H. & Stigdon, Terry J. & Miller, Eric A. & Fluke, John D., 2023. "Child welfare triage: Use of screening threshold analysis to evaluate intake decision-making," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).

    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. Fluke, John D. & Corwin, Tyler W. & Hollinshead, Dana M. & Maher, Erin J., 2016. "Family preservation or child safety? Associations between child welfare workers' experience, position, and perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 210-218.
    2. Chen, Yi-Yi & Park, Jisung & Park, Aely, 2012. "Existence, relatedness, or growth? Examining turnover intention of public child welfare caseworkers from a human needs approach," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 2088-2093.
    3. Kruzich, Jean M. & Mienko, Joseph A. & Courtney, Mark E., 2014. "Individual and work group influences on turnover intention among public child welfare workers: The effects of work group psychological safety," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 20-27.
    4. Storhaug, Anita Skårstad, 2023. "The decision-making ecology of child welfare emergency placements," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    5. Potter, Cathryn C. & Leake, Robin & Longworth-Reed, Laricia & Altschul, Inna & Rienks, Shauna, 2016. "Measuring organizational health in child welfare agencies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 31-39.
    6. Li, Yong & Huang, Hui & Chen, Yi-Yi, 2020. "Organizational climate, job satisfaction, and turnover in voluntary child welfare workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    7. Emily Keddell, 2019. "Algorithmic Justice in Child Protection: Statistical Fairness, Social Justice and the Implications for Practice," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-22, October.
    8. Clark, Sherrill J. & Smith, Richard J. & Uota, Kazumi, 2013. "Professional development opportunities as retention incentives in child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 1687-1697.
    9. Keddell, Emily & Cleaver, Kerri & Fitzmaurice, Luke, 2021. "The perspectives of community-based practitioners on preventing baby removals : Addressing legitimate and illegitimate factors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    10. Vanderfaeillie, Johan & Van Holen, Frank & Verheyden, Camille & Van Puyenbroeck, Bert & Benbenishty, Rami, 2023. "Decision-making on out-of-home care: The case of Flanders," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    11. Font, Sarah A. & Berger, Lawrence M. & Slack, Kristen S., 2012. "Examining racial disproportionality in child protective services case decisions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(11), pages 2188-2200.
    12. Burns, Desirée D. & Langenderfer-Magruder, Lisa & Yelick, Anna & Wilke, Dina J., 2023. "What else is there to say? Reflections of newly-hired child welfare workers by retention status," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    13. Robichaud, Marie-Joëlle & Pullen Sansfaçon, Annie & Poirier, Marie-Andrée, 2020. "Decision making at substantiation in cases involving racialized families: Child protection workers’ perceptions of influential factors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    14. Williams, Nathaniel J. & Glisson, Charles, 2013. "Reducing turnover is not enough: The need for proficient organizational cultures to support positive youth outcomes in child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 1871-1877.
    15. Dow-Fleisner, Sarah J. & Gregoire, Nina & Stager, Megan & Woodmass, Kyler & More, Jeffrey W. & Wells, Susan J., 2024. "Assessing a measure of organizational environment among Indigenous child welfare agencies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    16. Keddell, Emily & Hyslop, Ian, 2018. "Role type, risk perceptions and judgements in child welfare: A mixed methods vignette study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 130-139.
    17. Toros, Karmen & Tiko, Anne & Saia, Koidu, 2013. "Child-centered approach in the context of the assessment of children in need: Reflections of child protection workers in Estonia," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 1015-1022.
    18. Kearney, Aubrey D. & Wilson, Elisabeth S. & Hollinshead, Dana M. & Poletika, Michael & Kestian, Heather H. & Stigdon, Terry J. & Miller, Eric A. & Fluke, John D., 2023. "Child welfare triage: Use of screening threshold analysis to evaluate intake decision-making," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    19. Sorek, Yoa & Szabo-Lael, Rachel & Almog-Zaken, Aya, 2024. "“Welfare used to mean darkness – Now it’s beaming with light”: Professionals and parents’ perceptions of a family preservation program in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    20. Griffiths, Austin & Royse, David & Murphy, April & Jones, Olivia & Culver, Kalee & Turner, James & Smajlovic, Alma, 2023. "Exploratory factor analysis and reliability of the Child Welfare Employee Feedback Scale: Further revision (CWEFS-R)," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

    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:81:y:2017:i:c:p:229-237. 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.