Exploring social networks in foster caring: The mockingbird family in Australia

Michelle Jones, Emi Patmisari, Helen McLaren, Simone Mather, Chris Skinner
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Abstract

In their care of children and young people, foster carers report experiencing social isolation and a lack of support. This study examines the social network experiences of Australian foster carers who are members of Mockingbird Family. While well established in the United States and United Kingdom, Mockingbird Family was introduced to Australia offering a new approach to address the unique challenges of foster caring for vulnerable children and young people. The model geographically networks 6–10 foster care households in a ‘constellation’ with a central ‘hub home provider’ tasked with providing information, support, and respite care. This study employed a cross-sectional explanatory sequential mixed methods approach to investigate social connections and supports in the first four Australian Mockingbird Family constellations. A social network tool was used to survey participants ( n = 27) and two focus groups ( n = 20) to gather their experiences. Analysis found the highest mean social network connections with people from within their own Mockingbird Family constellations. Three measures of centrality were used indegree, betweenness and closeness, to report the connections and role of members within each constellation. Comparing constellations at different stages of maturity, the hub home provider was consistently ranked with high betweenness centrality as the bridge. In the longer-running constellations, the hub home provider was ranked with high indegree centrality or the primary source of advice or expert support. This indicated micro-network evolution that may potentially result in reduced reliance on statutory and other formal system supports over time. Changes to micro-dynamics in social support within constellations were explained qualitatively through three themes: leadership and expertise, information diffusion and communication, and trust and familiarity. Mockingbird Family was found to provide social connections and support networks amongst foster carers, indicating the model’s capacity to strengthen supports to carers thereby strengthening the immediate environment of children and young people in care.
探索寄养中的社会网络:澳大利亚的知更鸟家庭
寄养照护者在照护儿童和青少年的过程中会遇到社会隔离和缺乏支持的问题。本研究探讨了作为 "知更鸟家庭 "成员的澳大利亚寄养照护者的社会网络经历。尽管 "知更鸟家庭 "在美国和英国已经非常成熟,但它还是被引入了澳大利亚,为应对寄养弱势儿童和青少年所面临的独特挑战提供了一种新的方法。这种模式在地理上将 6-10 个寄养家庭组成一个 "星座",由一个中央 "中心家庭提供者 "负责提供信息、支持和临时护理。本研究采用了一种横断面解释性顺序混合方法来调查澳大利亚前四个 "知更鸟家庭 "中的社会联系和支持。使用社会网络工具对参与者(27 人)进行调查,并通过两个焦点小组(20 人)收集他们的经验。分析发现,与自己知更鸟大家庭中的成员建立的社会网络连接平均值最高。我们使用了三个中心度量,即度、间度和亲密度,来报告每个星座中成员的联系和角色。比较处于不同成熟阶段的星座,枢纽型家庭提供者作为桥梁的中心度一直很高。在运行时间较长的星座中,中心家庭提供者的indegree中心度较高,是建议或专家支持的主要来源。这表明,随着时间的推移,微观网络的演变可能会减少对法定和其他正式系统支持的依赖。通过领导力和专业知识、信息传播和交流以及信任和熟悉程度这三个主题,对星座内部社会支持的微观动态变化进行了定性解释。研究发现,"知更鸟家庭 "为寄养照料者提供了社会联系和支持网络,表明该模式有能力加强对照料者的支持,从而加强受照料儿童和青少年的直接环境。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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