LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN IN YUKON
by
Brenda Dion
B.Sc., University of Waterloo, 1979

THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULLFILMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF SCIENCE
in
COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCE

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
September 2004

© Brenda Dion, 2004

1^1

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11

ABSTRACT
Children raised in government care by “corporate parents” have a right to the same level
of care as is expected by “good parents” in community. Looking After Children (LAC) is
a research initiative that began in England for the purpose of assessing the developmental
growth of children raised in care across seven developmental dimensions. In this Yukon
study, all Whitehorse resident children in permanent government care from age 1-9 years
were assessed using the LAC Assessment and Action Records. In addition to establishing
a baseline data base of the developmental needs of children in care, the study also
examined the experience of social worker and foster parent participants in using the LAC
materials to help inform the ongoing development of the assessment strategy. The study
also resulted in the formulation of thirty policy and practice recommendations.

Ill

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract............................................................................................................................ii
Table of Contents............................................................................................................ iii
List of Tables .........

viii

List of Figures..................................................................................................................ix
Acknowledgements......................................................................................................... x
CHAPTER ONE............................................................................................................. 1
Introduction......................................................................................................................1
The Well-Being of Children in Care................................................................ ,2
The Looking After Children Project.............................................................................4
Looking After Children in Canada................................................................................6
The Yukon Context........................................................................................................ 7
Purpose of Research........................................................................................................9
Statement of Research Question....................................................................................10
CHAPTER TWO............................................................................................................ 11
Literature Review............................................................................................................ 11
Parenting and the Developmental Needs of Children.....................................11
The Corporate Parent: Raising Children in Government Care.......................16
Developmental Needs of Children in Government Care................................ 17
Yukon Children in Care.................................................................................... 20
CHAPTER THREE........................................................................................................ 22
Organizational Context for the Research......................................................................22
The Structure of Family and Children’s Services........................................... 22

IV

Pressure from the Media/Significance of the Research...................................24
Background to the LAC in Yukon Study......................................................... 25
The Challenges of LAC...................................................................................................26
The Philosophical Shift......................................................................................26
The Time Commitment......................................................................................27
Training................................................................................................................27
Duplication of Information.................................................................................28
CHAPTER FOUR........................................................................................................... 29
Research Design.............................................................................................................. 29
Evaluation Research Design........................................................................................... 30
Mixed-Method Approach................................................................................................31
A Collaborative Action Research Context.................................................................... 32
Sampling............................................................................................................. 34
Children in Care Sample....................................................................... 34
Social Worker Participant Sample........................................................ 35
Foster Parent Participant Sample.......................................................... 36
Data Collection.................................................................................................................36
Children in Care.................................................................................................. 36
The Assessment Action Records....................................................................... ,36
Training Session...................................................................................................39
The Experience of the Research Participants................................................... .39
Social Worker Participant Mid-Point Survey/Focus Group.............. 40
Ethical Considerations

.42

Strengths and Limitations of Focus Group Methods.......................... ,43
Foster Parent Participant Survey........................................................... 45
Strengths and Limitations of Survey Methods.....................................45
Data A nalysis..................................................................................................................46
Analysis of the Quantitative Data from the AARs.......................................... 46
Analysis of the Qualitative Data from the AARs............................................ 47
Social Worker Participant Survey/Focus Group.............................................. 47
Foster Parent Participant Survey.......................................................................48
Feedback to Participants/Input from Participants............................................ 48
Overall Ethical Considerations..........................................................................,49
CHAPTER FIVE............................................................................................................. 51
Research Findings............................................................................................................ 51
Children in Care Research Findings.................................................................. 51
The Dimensions.................................................................................................. 52
Health......................................................................................................52
Education................................................................................................57
Identity.....................................................................................................64
Family and Social Relationships........................................................... 69
Social Presentation.................................................................................75
Emotional and Behavioral Development.............................................77
Self-Care Skills.......................................................................................79
Data on Research Participants............................................................................81
Social Worker Participant Survey and Focus Group........................... 82

VI

Themes of the Social Worker Participant...........................................84
Foster Parent Survey ........................................................................... 87
CHAPTER SIX...............................................................................................................91
Discussion of Research Findings.................................................................................. 91
The Well-Being of Children Raised in Care................................................................ 92
Health Status of Children in Care.....................................................................92
Education Status of Children in C are............................................................. 94
Identity Status of Children in Care...................................................................97
Family and Social Relationship Status of Children in Care...........................98
Social Presentation Status of Children in Care............................................... 101
Emotional and Behavioral Development Status of Children in C are...........102
Self-Care Skills Status of Children in Care......................................................103
Looking After Children as an Effective Assessment Tool to Track
Developmental Outcomes for Children Raised in Government Care........................ 104
Social Workers................................................................................................... 104
Foster Parents.................................................................................................... 109
CHAPTER SEVEN........................................................................................................I l l
Practice and Policy Implications and Recommendations............................................111
Impacts of Looking After Children in Yukon Thus F a r.............................................111
Plans of Care...................................................................................................... I l l
The Philosophical Shifts in Practice.................................................................112
Factors Associated with Resiliency...................................................................113
Future Ideas for use of Looking After Children in Yukon............................. 114

vil

The Children in Care and the Assessment Action Records..........................;..............115
The Health Dimension........................................................................................115
The Education Dimension.................................................................................116
The Identity Dimension.....................................................................................117
The Family and Social Relationships Dimension........................................... 118
The Social Presentation Dimension.................................................................119
The Emotional and Behavioral Developmental.............................................. 119
The Experiences of the Participants..............................................................................119
The Social Workers............................................................................................119
The Foster Parents..............................................................................................120
Summary......................................................................................................................... 120
References.......................................................................................................................123
Appendix A

Looking After Children Assessment and Action Records Version 1
Health section ages 5-9

Appendix B

Organizational structure of Family and Children’s Services

Appendix C

Data Sharing Agreement between the Director and the Researcher

Appendix D Social worker survey/focus group questions
Appendix E Foster parent survey
Appendix F

Focus Group Participant Information Sheet

Appendix G

Interview Consent Form for Social Work Participants

Appendix H Letter to Foster Parents Regarding the Foster Parent Survey
Appendix I

Participant Information Sheet for Data Presentations

Appendix J

Consent Form for Data Presentations

vin
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4-1

Number of Yukon Children in Care by age groups, legal status,
and social work team September 1, 2001............................................. 35

Table 5-1

Number of caregivers since infancy...................................................... 70

IX

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 5.1:

Socio-demographic characteristics of children (age 1-9).................... 52

Figure 5.2:

Percentages of children normally well/thriving (age 1-9)................... 53

Figure 5.3:

Developmental delay/remedial action (age 3-4).................................. 59

Figure 5.4:

School readiness/skills (age 3-4)........................................................... 60

Figure 5.5:

School changes for (age 5 -9 )................................................................ 61

Figure 5.6:

Summary of educational objectives (age 5-9)...................................... 64

Figure 5.7:

The child has a positive view of herself and her abilities (age 1-9)...65

Figure 5.8:

The child has an understanding of his current situation (age 3-9)...... 66

Figure 5.9:

The child has knowledge of her family of origin (age 1-9)................ 68

Figure 5.10:

The child can relate to his racial/ethnic background (age 3-9)........... 69

Figure 5.11:

The child has continuity of care (age 1-9)............................................ 71

Figure 5.12:

Continuing contacts with family (age 1-9)........................................... 71

Figure 5.13:

Child’s contact with birth family strengthens their rel. (age 1-9)....... 72

Figure 5.14:

The child is definitely attached to one foster parent/ stable
relationship with one adult (age 1-9) .................................................. 73

Figure 5.15:

The child is liked by adults and other young people (age 3-9)........... 74

Figure 5.16:

The child appears well care for/acceptable appearance (age 1-2/3-9)75

Figure 5.17:

The child’s behavior is acceptable to others (age 3-9)........................ 76

Figure 5.18:

The child is free of serious emotional and beh, problems (age 1-9) .78

Figure 5.19:

The child is receiving effective treatment for all persistent problems
(age 1-9)...................................................................................................79

Figure 5.20:

Summary of Self-Care skills (age 1-4/5-9)...........................................81

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Looking After Children in Yukon occurred as an effort to improve the lives and
parenting provided to many children who grow up in care in Yukon. It was also intended
to assist social workers and foster parents who work so hard to provide for the children in
care with a way of both documenting and tracking the progress of the children they care
for. There are so many people to thank whom through their support, enthusiasm,
expertise and direction, contributed to ensuring that this study occurred.
There is one young man with whom I am forever grateful. He was a child in care
named Brian and it was Brian’s comfort with my informal use of the LAC materials with
him and the ease with which he answered my questions that actually led to the LAC in
Yukon study many years later.
To my thesis committee supervisor, Gerard Bellefeuille, I am very grateful for
your understanding, expertise, challenges and never ending encouragement. To Dr. Karen
Kelly and Dawn Hemingway, my thanks for all of the time you spent reviewing my
numerous thesis drafts and your wise recommendations. To my work supervisor for many
years Maxine Kehoe, who supported LAC from the very beginning and always
encouraged me to carry on. To Anne Westcott for also believing in LAC and in
supporting this workplace based study. To my work colleagues, Cathy, Tracy, Michael,
Hayley, Sharleen, Donna, Daisy, Pat, Kathleen, Jennifer, Anne, Reita, Bev, Betsy and
Patricia, some of whom were also participants in the study, I thank you all for the
encouragement that you gave me not only when I was coordinating the study, but also
through providing feedback, and for all of the times that you listened to me as I struggled

XI

through the thesis process. Thanks also to Heather B and Betty R who provided me with
administrative and computer support on a regular basis.
To the LAC in Yukon committee who helped provide feedback and direction to
the study I would like to thank you for all of the time you devoted. Also, I wish to extend
a special thank you to the foster parents who agreed to participate in the study and
provided invaluable feedback to the future direction of caring for Yukon children in care.
To Dr Kathleen Kufeldt and Joan Mary Baker who assisted me in getting this
LAC in Yukon study going and to Shannon Balia from the CWLC who provided ongoing
assistance, expertise and encouragement to me throughout this study. Thank you to the
combined Community Health and Social Work student cohort at Yukon College who I
am forever grateful to for their continual words of support, encouragement and the
occasional direction to stop whining which I needed. To the librarians at UNBC I know I
could never have done it without your help.
To my sister Joanne, my friends Ella and Toodi, and my running friends, Lynda,
Carmen and Anilee, I truly thank you all for listening to me tell you over and over that I
was just about finished. Well now I am finished and it was your listening ears that kept
me going. To my family, Jenna, Jesse and Andrew, I hope you have learned that
education can be a never-ending adventure no matter how you chose to receive it. I also
thank you for your continual understanding and patience during the times when mom was
busy working on her thesis. And to Bryan, thank you for the inspiration I needed to get
me to the finish line.

XU

Finally, to all of the Yukon children in care whom I have worked with over my
many years as a social worker, it was your resiliency and strength that provided me with
the passion to pursue this LAC in Yukon study.

Thank you all.

CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
In 2000, there were approximately 76,000 children in Canada living in out-ofhome care for their safety and protection (Farris-Manning & Zandstra, 2003). Despite an
increased emphasis on family reunification' and prevention services, Trocmé and
Chamberland (2003) recently reported at the 4* National Child Welfare Symposium held
in Banff, Alberta, that child protection investigations are on the rise, the number of
children in care is increasing and more and more of the children in care are First Nations.
While children generally are brought into government care on grounds of abuse, neglect,
and abandonment (Farris-Manning & Zandstra, 2003), a growing number of children
prenatally exposed to illegal drugs, alcohol, and HIV/AIDS are being placed under
government care because their specialized medical requirements extend beyond the
parenting capacity of their families (Child Welfare League of America, 2003).
For the majority of children who come into contact with child welfare, the
experience of being “in care” is of a temporary nature. Yet, for a significant number of
children, the experience is permanent. In fact, the number of permanent guardians^ of the
government is estimated by the Adoption Council of Canada to be around 20,000 (Farris-

* The reunification o f children in foster care with their biological parents whenever possible,
within the larger context o f efforts to achieve permanent and safe living conditions for children.
^ The concept o f parens patriae is fundamental in any discussion of law respecting children. This
term, which in Latin literally means “father o f the country or government as parent” refers to a rule, derived
from the English common law, empowering the monarch to act as guardian and protector o f persons. Under
the authority o f this doctrine the court may act as a substitute benevolent parent on behalf o f the state
(Wharf, 1993).

Manning & Zandstra, 2003). In other words, over 20,000 Canadian children are being
raised by corporate parents. In Canada, the responsibility for child welfare services lies
with each of the 10 provincial and three territorial governments. Each province and
territory has its own legislation that outlines the range and extent of child protection
services and provides the mandate for policy and program development. In addition.
Aboriginal authorities^ are legally mandated to deliver the full range of child welfare
services under the Federal First Nations Child and Family Services Program"^.
The Well-Being o f Children Raised in Care
While the principles of child safety and well-being jointly form the basis of child
welfare legislation across Canada, it is child safety or the protection of children that has
historically been the major focus of child welfare services and research (Trocme &
Chamberland, 2003). There has been extensive research on how and why children come
into care (Trocme & Wolfe, 2001), their experiences while in care (Fahlberg, 1991;
Francis, 2000; Klee, Soman, & Halfon, 1992; Kufeldt, Simard, & Vachon, 2000; Parker,

^ For the purpose o f this paper, the term “Aboriginal Authorities” is used to describe both offreserve Aboriginal Agencies such as the Vancouver Child and Family Services Society mandated in 2001
and First Nations on reserve Child and Family Caring Agencies.
'* In 1991, a national First Nations Child and Family Services program was established by Indian
Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) under the authority o f Cabinet. Under this program, First Nation Child
and Family Services agencies provide services for children who are registered and ordinarily resident on
reserve. These agencies receive their legal mandate from their respective provincial/territorial government
and function as agencies o f these governments, while receiving their funding through INAC. In 1997-1998,
there were 79 First Nations Child & Family Services agencies delivering services to over 70% o f onreserve children and youth across Canada, from birth to 18 years o f age. None are in Yukon. For additional
information see INAC’s web site http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/pub/ywtk/sgp01_e.html.

Ward, Jackson, Aldgate, & Wedge, 1991; Sawyer & Dubowitz, 1994; Stein, 1997), and
the life course outcomes for children who are raised in government care (Cheung &
Heath 1994; Heath, Colton, & Algate, 1994; Kufeldt et ah, 2000; Simms & Halfon,
1994). However, it is only recently that the principle of child well-being and questions
regarding the developmental progress of children raised in care have gained the attention
of researchers in the area of child welfare.
According to Jackson (1998, p. 50), while there has been little research done on
the well-being of children raised in care, there is ample evidence to suggest that “the
parenting provided by local authorities [to children in care] has been grossly deficient
and, unlike lower income parents, the local authority, does not lack power and
resources.” In a discussion paper commissioned by the National Children’s Alliance of
Canada to advance recommendations for future research and policy development in child
welfare, Farris-Manning and Zandstra (2003) purposely pointed out in its concluding
remarks that:
.. .children in care have a right to the same opportunities as children who are not
in public care in order to develop into responsive, well educated, well balanced
adults. The UN Convention on the Rights o f the Child [my emphasis] ensures that
they receive adequate care to facilitate their growth (UN, 1989), and child welfare
policies and practices in Canada should be designed to meet those primary goals.
To date, Canada does not have a national strategy concerning the provision of
child protection services. The provinces, territories and First Nations have
established commendable programs and strategies within their own jurisdictions,
but it is evident that timely research is required to facilitate the development of

national standards and strategies, which will ensure equal opportunities for all of
Canada’s children, (p. 13)
In the same way as society expects “good” parents to be responsible for far more
than just the safety of their children, Kufeldt and Theriault (1995, p. 362) assert that this
same expectation should extend to corporate parent “To be successful the state” as
corporate parent “ must understand parenting and the business of raising children.”
Moreover, the continued protection and support given to children raised in care must be
guided by scientific information that includes both the evaluation of child welfare
services and intervention programs as well as the ongoing assessment of the
developmental progress of children governments have responsibility over (Kufeldt &
Theriault, 1995). So how do governments raise children? What are the additional
challenges of corporate parents? How do corporate parents assess and monitor the
progress of children under their care? These are important questions worthy of
investigative consideration.
The Looking After Children Project
In 1984, researchers in England began to look closely at the question of how
“looked after children” were being cared for. These efforts were the beginning of the
Looking After Children (LAC) project (Parker et ah, 1991). LAC is predicated on the
premise that children removed from the care of their birth family by the courts deserve to
have their developmental needs addressed in the same way as those of other children in
the community. The LAC approach was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1991
as a tool to monitor the developmental progress and overall well-being of children in
government care. Advocates of LAC argue that birth parents, children in care themselves.

social workers, and governments are all equally entitled to indications that the job of
raising children is being done better than had they not come into care (Jackson, Fischer,
& Ward, 1996).
In an effort to provide a means of obtaining this information, the LAC project
developed a practice and research protocol called the Assessment and Action Record
(AAR). The AAR was designed to assess the development of children and youth across
seven developmental dimensions in which development growth occurs. These include
health, education, social presentation, family and social relationships, identity, emotional
and behavioral development, and self care skills. The dimensions are not exclusive of
each other as they often interact and overlap and are intended to reflect the areas of
growth that would be monitored naturally by adequately-resourced parents on their own
children (Jackson, 1995; Ward, 1995).
The AAR was first piloted with parents of children outside of government care
and proved to be an accurate reflection of the informal monitoring done by most parents
(Jackson, 1995; Kufeldt et al., 2000; Parker et al., 1991; Ward, 1995). It was then piloted
in England with children in care with results that were also promising (Jackson et al.,
1996; Kufeldt et al., 2000). Child welfare authorities were able to assess and identify how
children were progressing developmentally and determine what areas required further
attention. These same studies also found that using the AAR over time actually improved
the care children received by acting upon areas where needs were identified (Jackson,
1995; Jackson et al., 1996; Jones, Clark, Kufeldt, & Norman, 1998; Kufeldt et al., 2000;
Parker et al., 1991; Ward, 1995). Caregivers and children in care reported that using the

materials helped to identify what their needs were, where they had strengths, and what
developmental areas needed attention (Jones et al., 1998; Kufeldt et al., 2000).
LAC extends the practice of providing child welfare services beyond a child
protection model, which has traditionally maintained a very narrow focus on child safety,
to a much broader child well-being focus that gives much more emphasis on the
developmental progress of a child in care on an ongoing basis (Kufeldt & Theriault,
1995). Jackson, as cited in Kufeldt and Theriault (1995, p. 363), explains that the
philosophy of LAC is based on “the established relationship between quality of
parenting, children’s developmental needs, and life course outcomes.”
LAC has emerged into an international program with its adoption in Australia,
various European countries, and Canada (Jackson et. al., 1996; Jones, Clarke, Kufeldt, &
Norman, 1998; Kufeldt, et al., 2000; Owen, Jones, & Corrick, 1998; Vachon, Nadeau,
Simard, & Kufeldt, 2000; Wheelaghan, Hill, Borland, Lambent, & Triseliotis, 1999;
Wise, 1999).
Looking After Children in Canada
In Canada, nine of the provincial/territorial child welfare jurisdictions, including
the Yukon, are involved in a national LAC Initiative. Various pilot and implementation
initiatives have occurred across the country over the past seven years. In 1997, a pilot
study utilizing test sites in the six eastern-most provinces in Canada including Prince
Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Quebec and Ontario was
undertaken (Kufeldt et al., 2000). In this study, Kufeldt studied the developmental
progress of 263 children and youth in care using the AARs. This study also included a
comparison sample of 45 non-care children and youth. Kufeldt’s study, along with a

7

parallel study implemented in Ontario, helped to inform the development of the Canadian
LAC initiative (CanLAC) in fall 2001, led by the Child Welfare League of Canada. The
province of British Columbia had previously obtained a separate license to implement its
own LAC program. Although British Columbia developed a slightly modified version of
the AARs to reflect their provincial child welfare legislation, the province is a participant
in the national CanLAC initiative.
A newer “Canadianized” version of the AAR has now been designed to promote a
national approach to assessing, monitoring and planning for children in care that is
consistent across the country. Ongoing revisions to the AAR have incorporated
standardized measures directly comparable to those of the National Longitudinal Survey
of Children and Youth (NLSCY) that reports on the health and well-being of Canadian
children and families (Brink & McKeller, 2000). Copyright protection and the need to
purchase a license to use the materials prevent major modifications to the AAR. Some
adaptations have been approved to reflect the Canadian context.
The Yukon Context
In Yukon, the developmental progress of children in care is assessed much like
that of a parent in the community—that is, informally. While there are many practice
procedures that are followed to address some of the developmental needs of a child in
care such as yearly medicals, mandated plans of care and yearly reviews of the progress
of a child in care, there are no specific method of assessing the developmental progress of
a group of children in care on a formal basis.
As of March 1999, 60% of the 182 children in government care were in the
permanent care and custody of the Director of Child Welfare (Child Welfare in Canada,

8

2000). In other words, the Director is their “parent” and is committed to either identifying
adoptive families to raise them to adulthood, or raising them in long-term foster homes or
residential care. However, there were only six agency adoptions of Yukon children under
the Director’s care in 1997, five in 1996 and two in 1994. Given this small number of
finalized adoptions, being raised in government care is a very likely outcome for the
majority of Yukon’s children in permanent care (Department of Health and Social
Services, 2000). With few opportunities for adoption and, to date, only a handful of
revocations of a permanent care order (where children may be returned to their birth
family), the majority of children committed to permanent care will remain in government
care up to the age of majority (19 years of age in Yukon). So what is the developmental
progress of Yukon children being raised in care? Do we know how these children are
doing? Do we know the impacts of the child welfare interventions on the life course
outcomes for the many children who grow up in care in the Yukon? To date, there have
been no studies assessing the developmental status of Yukon children in care. Currently,
there are no clear ways to measure whether the corporate parenting being provided to
Yukon children in care has any impact on their developmental progress.
Yukon has been following the developments of LAC project informally since
1994. As a social worker directly involved with children in permanent care in Whitehorse
since 1985,1 began to informally experiment with the protocols as part of my case
management responsibilities. In particular, 1 started with one child who had moved to
Whitehorse at the age 16 and was assigned to my caseload. 1 did not know the youth very
well but had to develop a plan of care with him and his relative foster parents. 1 reviewed
the English version of the AAR for his age group and the materials provided me with a

comprehensive overview and questions to ask the youth and his caregivers about how he
was doing across the seven dimensions. The questions covered all of the areas that I as a
parent would attend to with my own children. The questions went further than that and
asked about long terms plans, goals, skills needed to learn, whether the child felt
discriminated against and what the youth knew about his life experiences. Once
completed, the assessment identified areas of strength for the youth and areas that needed
to be attended to. Tasks to complete were then assigned to various members of the care
team, including the youth. The resulting plan of care meeting went smoothly, and was
very informative for me and for the caregivers, and the youth appeared to be comfortable
with the questions he was asked. The questions prompted easy conversation and, through
the discussion that ensued, we were able to develop a comprehensive plan of care.
I used the materials from the AARs with other children I worked with and had
similar results. I also shared the AAR and the LAC philosophy of assessing and
monitoring children’s developmental progress with other social workers, my supervisor,
foster parents and youth, receiving positive feedback from all involved. The seven
dimensions of the protocols gave social workers and foster parents a consistent and
thorough framework that was useful in assessing and identifying the developmental needs
of children and youth as well as for developing a child’s plan of care. It was this informal
use that led me to propose a LAC in Yukon study.
Purpose of Research
LAC in Yukon is the first study in the Yukon designed specifically to evaluate the
developmental progress of Yukon children under government care. The study had two
main objectives:

10

1. To further the implementation of a promising, innovative approach to assessing
and meeting the developmental needs of children raised in government care.
2. To model the teamwork approach required to parent a child in care by involving
social workers and foster parents as collaborative partners in the research process.
Drawing upon quantitative and qualitative methods, the study examines the
developmental well-being of children in permanent care along seven developmental
dimensions using the Looking After Children Assessment and Action Records Version 1
(see Appendix A to view the Health dimension component of the AAR for the 5-9 year
old age grouping). In addition to providing a snapshot of how these children are doing
developmentally, the data obtained will provide a baseline measure to help guide future
case management practices as well as inform program and policy development.
Statement of Research Question
The specific research questions to be addressed in this study are:
1. What is the current developmental status across the seven LAC developmental
dimensions of Yukon children in permanent care from birth to age nine and who
are residing in Whitehorse?
2. What is the experience of the social worker and foster parent participants involved
in the research in regards to the perceived usefulness and appropriateness of the
LAC AAR protocols for Yukon children in care?
3. Do the AARs have an impact on social worker and foster parent practice with
children in care?

11

CHAPTER TWO
Literature Review
This chapter will include a review of the literature in relation to (a) family and
parenting styles and their influence on the developmental needs of children, (b) issues of
parenting children who are raised in government care, (c) the developmental needs of
children in care, and (d) the Looking After Children international program designed to
assess and attend to the developmental needs of children raised in government care.
Parenting and the Developmental Needs o f Children
The question of whether parenting matters is well researched in the literature.
While there is no single manual given to parents upon the birth of their children that
shows them how to do the job correctly, and there is no guarantee that children raised in
certain ways by certain family types will turn out “right”, there is ample research to
suggest that above all, it is the type of parenting that “determines the quality of a young
child’s world and shape(s) the foundations for later development” (Health Canada, 2003,
p. 1).
According to ecological systems theory (recently renamed bioecological system
theory), a child’s development occurs through a complex interplay of many influences,
which include the natural endowment of genetics and personality and the environmental
conditions he or she is exposed to throughout childhood (Bronfenbrenner, 1986). The
leading proponent of ecological systems theory, Urie Bronfenbrenner (2002, p. 1), says
that the most immediate and earliest influence on child development “is the family,
followed by the neighborhoods or community institutions such as school, religious
instructions and peer group as well as the specific culture with which the family

12

identifies.” According to Bronfenbrenner, there are two environmental conditions that are
necessary for human development. The first is that one or more adults must love the child
unconditionally; the second is that the adults must encourage the child and spend time
doing joint activities with the child in and out of the home environment.
Bronfenbrenner refers to the child as being in a nested environment. The child,
who contains various systems within him or her, is at the center of the nest, surrounded
by layers of individuals and groups of individuals. The child is the egg nested within the
other environments, which are also nested within each other. Another way to describe it
is in terms of a rock being thrown into the water: the rock in the middle is the child and
the ripple effects around that rock are the other nested environments. The parents,
teachers and anyone in a close relationship with the child for a substantial amount of time
are in the first ripple, called the microsystem. The people in the microsystem have the
most immediate effect on the child. The implications of this theory for children in
government care are huge considering the large number of placements that children in
care typically experience.
Loving a child and responding to his or her needs forms the basis of attachment, a
critical process in human relationships that has significant impacts on the future for
human beings. For Benoit (teleconference, September 17, 2002), “the role of parents as
attachment figures may be the most influential role in predicting socio-emotional
outcome for children.” Attachment occurs when a child expresses a need, and that need is
understood and attended to by responsive and nurturing caregivers. Attachment refers to
characteristics of the relationship between the child and the caregiver and because
children can develop attachment relationships to a neglectful and abusive caregiver, it is

13

the quality of the attachment that is important in child welfare (Benoit, 2003). According
to Allen and Marotz (1994):
All children, whether normal, handicapped or at-risk for developmental problems,
have a number of physical and psychological needs. These needs must be met if
infants and children are to survive, thrive and develop to their optimum potential.
Many developmental psychologists view the early years as the most critical in the
entire developmental life span. Never again will the child be so totally dependent
upon parents, caregivers and teachers to satisfy the basic needs of life and to
provide opportunities for learning, (p. 1)
Further to the significance of family on child development outcomes, many
studies suggest that parenting styles are significantly important in predicting child well
being (Darling, 1999; Health Canada, 2003; Stein, 2004). According to the Canadian
Institute of Child Health (2000, p. 200), “parenting is one key contributor to the mental
and emotional health and well-being of children and youth.”
According to Maccoby and Martin (1983), parenting style captures two important
elements of parenting: parental responsiveness and parental demandingness. Parental
responsiveness refers to “the extent to which parents intentionally foster individuality,
self-regulation, and self-assertion by being attuned, supportive, and acquiescent to
children’s special needs and demands” (Baumrind, 1991, p. 62). Parental demandingness
refers to “the claims parents make on children to become integrated into the family
whole, by their maturity demands, supervision, disciplinary efforts and willingness to
confront the child who disobeys” (Baumrind, 1991, pp. 61-62).

14

Baumrind’s widely recognized conceptual model deals with parenting prototypes,
including the concepts of authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and rejecting/neglecting
styles of parenting (Baumrind, 1966,1968,1989,1991). Her work has been widely
discussed and incorporated into the research of many other investigators. Building upon
the work of Baumrind, Darling (1999) supported the conclusion arrived at by Baumrind
that parents who exert a democratic or authoritative style of parenting, which balances
realistic demands and expectations with emotional responsiveness and recognition of
child autonomy, provide the most desirable child-rearing environment and have the most
positive impact on a child’s well-being. Likewise, Wilms study (as cited in The Health of
Canada’s Children, 2000):
determined that young children whose parents employed permissive-irrational
parenting styles were significantly more likely to have emotional or behavioral
problems than children whose parents employed authoritarian, permissive or
authoritative styles. The lowest prevalence of problems [during the pre-school
years] was found among children with authoritative parents. (p.60)
In addition to providing children with structure, consistency, love, caring, and
discipline, researchers have also found that the time parents spend with their children as
well as the parents’ own well-being plays a key role in positive child outcomes (Health
Canada, 2003). According to Jackson, Fischer, and Ward (1996):
parenting is a process which most parents learn as they go along, with help from
relatives, friends, the media, health professionals and teachers. Although there are
wide variations in parenting practices, there is reliable research findings which
show that warmth, consistent but authoritative parenting with much praise and

15

emphasis on positives achieves the best results. This knowledge...is incorporated
into the Assessment and Action records, (p. 9)
Conversely, there is ample research and evidence to suggest that children raised in
out-of-home care or in institutional care, without the benefit of family-based parenting,
sustain lifelong effects, and some never escape those effects. During the residential
school era, for example, many First Nations children were taken from their parents at the
age of five and placed in residential schools (Kelm, 1998). Not only were many of these
children deprived of positive parental influences, but they did not have the opportunity to
learn parenting practices for fulfilling their own parenting responsibilities (Canada,
1996).
In Restoring Dignity, Responding to Child Abuse in Institutions, the Law Reform
Commission of Canada (2000, p. 2) recognized that “residential school inflicted terrible
damage not just on individuals but on families, entire communities and peoples.”
Similarly, a study of Romanian orphans adopted by Canadian families in the early 1990s
reported that even after a significant period after adoption (5+ years), those children who
had spent at least eight of their formative months in the institution without the benefit of a
nurturing family environment had lower IQ scores, lower school achievement scores,
greater attention difficulty, and more behavior problems than the other matched sample
(Center for Family Development, 2004).
While family and parenting styles have been shown to have a large impact on
child development outcomes, children’s development is also influenced by their genetic
make up, environment, cultural and ethnic identity, education, appearance, and life
experiences (Child Welfare League of America, 1993). Understanding “normal” child

16

development and the main domains encompassed by it, is important when working in the
area of child welfare. A child’s development proceeds in stages and, as the child acquires
the skills of one stage, he or she can progress to the next (Allen & Marotz, 1994).
Development occurs across many domains loosely grouped into physical,
emotional, social and intellectual areas (Child Welfare League of America, 1993).
Although children differ in their rate of growth and development, normal development
spans a broad range and each child will develop at his or her own unique pace (Allen &
Marotz, 1994). Children who come into government care have experienced one or more
conditions that can interfere with normal growth and development. “An environment of
neglect and/or abuse during the early years contributes to later learning, behavioral,
emotional and physical health problems” (Canadian Institute of Child Health, 2000, p.
66). Hence, caring for children in care requires parents, both corporate and foster, not
only to have a thorough knowledge of typical child development, but also to understand
the impacts of abuse on the developmental progress of a child.
The Corporate Parent: Raising Children in Government Care
Children in care present additional challenges for those responsible for their
upbringing (Jackson, 1995; Jackson et al., 1996). Corporate parenting, the term coined
for the job of governments who have the legal responsibility for raising children (Jackson
et al., 1996), becomes a very complex task when there are numerous people responsible
for the job of parenting and for ensuring that the developmental needs of children are
appropriately met. When children come into care, the tasks of parenting are split up in
typical bureaucratic fashion and distributed among several players; the legal tasks of
parenting become the responsibility of the agency, usually delegated to a social worker.

17

and the day-to-day parenting responsibilities are designated to an alternative caregiver or
caregivers, including foster families, youth care workers, residential care staff, and
treatment personnel (Fahlberg, 1991). Even after being brought into care, the division of
parenting responsibilities of corporate parenting and the complexities of this task can
result in no one person assuming the job of carrying out the daily monitoring of parenting
which most parents do without thinking (Parker et al., 1991). Although the child still has
all of the needs of a child not in care, many people are now responsible for meeting those
needs. As a result, the development of partnerships among those people is essential to the
task of parenting (Jackson et al., 1996).
Developmental Needs o f Children Raised in Government Care
Children come into care from a variety of situations, including neglect; physical,
emotional and sexual abuse; and abandonment. The Canadian Incidence Study of
Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (Trocmé, MacLaurin, Fallon et al., 2001) revealed
that of all substantiated cases of abuse investigations in 1998, neglect was most prevalent
(40%), followed by physical abuse (31%), emotional abuse (19%) and sexual abuse
(10%). The most common form of neglect was “failure of the caregiver to supervise or
protect leading to physical harm” of the child (48%). Sixty-nine percent of children who
were physically abused had received inappropriate punishment. Exposure to family
violence (58%) was the most common cause of emotional maltreatment, while touching
and fondling accounted for 68% of substantiated forms of sexual abuse (Trocmé,
MacLaurin, Fallon et al., 2001). Child neglect most often involves situations that must
exist over a period of time in order to be recognized or brought to the attention of a child
welfare agency. Of particular concern with neglect is that “ the longer the child is

18

subjected to parental abuse and/or neglect, the more damaged he or she becomes at all
levels of functioning, and the more difficult it becomes to implement an alternative
permanent plan that will meet the child’s needs” (MacMillan, Steinhauer, & Chappel,
2002, p. 33).
Although family-based care is the preferred placement option, the foster care
system is often over-extended and under-resourced to meet the complex needs of today’s
children and families (Farris-Manning & Zandstra, 2003; Klee, Soman, & Halfon, 1992).
Family preservation and continued efforts at reunification can mean that children enter in
and out of the child welfare system, as though through a revolving door, resulting in
multiple moves from home to care or within the care system greatly affecting all areas of
their development. “Social stability is essential for children to develop a sense of
belonging and identity as they cope with separation from their families. Some placement
changes are beneficial, but multiple unplanned moves can have seriously negative short
and long-term consequences for children” (Trocme, Nutter, MacLaurin, & Fallon, 1999,
p. 3). A history of multiple placements is a significant contributing factor in children
exhibiting “reactive attachment disorder.” According to Steinhauer, Osmond, Palmer,
MacMillan, and Perlman (2002);
These children have often been exposed to years of repeated neglect, abuse and
discontinuity within their own families, frequently aggravated by the cumulative
effect of multiple placement breakdowns they experience in the foster care system
while moving from foster home to foster home to group home to institution and
back again, (p. 145)
Kufeldt et al. (2000) note that most children come into care with signs of health.

19

emotional or behavioral problems. According to Simms and Halfon, (1994) and Kufeldt
et al. (2000), children who come into foster care are likely to suffer from both acute and
chronic, even severe or disabling, medical problems as well as high rates of emotional,
behavioral, and developmental problems.
Research on children raised in care suggests that even after being removed from
their families for their safety and well-being many children in care do not necessarily
thrive. Once involved in the foster care system, the children are subjected to the
unintended but negative outcomes of this intervention (Kufeldt et al, 2000). Kufeldt et al.
(2000) present an extensive literature review of children growing up in care. A summary
of the review suggests that children who are raised in care have higher rates of poor
overall health, enter care with a history of problems in school, and experience many
placement disruptions. Trocme et al. (1999, p. 2) reported that “school performance is the
simplest indicator of cognitive functioning for school aged children. Research
consistently shows that children receiving child welfare services are behind their peers in
all aspects of cognitive development and school performance.” Other researchers lend
support to this view (Francis, 2000; Heath et al., 1994; Kufeldt, Simard, Tite, & Vachon
2003; Noble, 1997; Sawyer & Dubowitz, 1994; Stein, 1997). Many of these children
have a poor sense of identity and low self-esteem. For many children raised in care, there
is a loss of contact with the biological family including siblings and grandparents.
The literature further suggests that many children raised in care are generally not
adequately prepared for adulthood (Cheung & Heath, 1994; Heath et al., 1994; Scarth,
1993). “Even when children are brought into care, assurance of physical safety can
preempt efforts to ensure emotional security and attention to the child’s well-being. The

20

narrow mandate enable services to discharge young people from care into “independence
when they are patently unprepared” (Kufeldt, 1999, p. 161).
Yukon Children in Care
A search for studies on how Yukon children in care were doing revealed that
information is limited. A number of reviews have focused on the services to children in
care, particularly in residential care (Anglin, 2001; Bilton, 1997; Child Welfare League
of Canada, 2002; Pugh, 2002; Scarth & Weir, 1998). Anglin completed commissioned
reports in 1989, 1993 (as cited in Pugh, 2002) and, in 2001, on the delivery of group
home services in Whitehorse. Scarth and Weir (1998) also completed a report
commissioned by the Department of Health and Human Resources on residential
services.
The Trujillo report (cited in Pugh, 2002) was a safety audit completed on a
specific contracted group home in Whitehorse. Pugh’s report provides a chronological
history of residential services in the Yukon for children who came into care of the
government from the late 1800s to the present. Bilton (1997) reviewed five children’s
residential facilities in Whitehorse to determine the accessibility and adequacy of health
care services. This review did not address the health progress of the children in care but
rather reviewed the services that were being provided.
The most comprehensive report to date in Yukon is the Review of Services to
Children in Care of the Yukon Territorial Government’s Department of Health and Social
Services, completed under the auspices of the Child Welfare League of Canada (CWLC,
2002). This report, a companion to the Anglin report of 2001, looked at the state of child
welfare services to children in the Yukon, while the Anglin report focused on residential

21

services. Front-line workers were invited to participate in both reviews. Informal
communications with colleagues during this time period strongly indicated an
overwhelming feeling of frustration, caused by unmanageable caseloads and processes
that were not inclusive of the workers’ experiences and expertise. The Review of
Services to Children in Care concluded with 15 recommendations to government
covering four main areas: workload and staffing issues, service and program supports,
infra-structural supports and quality assurance. One of the recommendations made
included continued efforts to support the implementation of the LAC in Yukon program.

22
CHAPTER THREE
Organizational Context for the Research
The Structure o f Family and Children’s Services
The Director of Family and Children’s Services is responsible for child welfare
services in Yukon. The Children’s Act (last updated in 1985 and under review at the time
of this study) provides the legal mandate for the protection of vulnerable children. The
Director of Family and Children’s Services oversees five main program areas that are
intended to protect children and to ensure their developmental needs are met (Appendix
B). They are Early Childhood and Prevention, Family and Children’s Services, Child
Placement Services, Children’s Assessment and Treatment Services, and Youth Services.
At the time of this study, Yukon Family and Children’s Services was undergoing
another organizational change. A Manager oversaw each program area and, prior to the
reorganization, provided direct supervision to front line social workers. After
reorganization, team leaders/supervisors were appointed to supervise specialized areas
within each program. (This reorganization did not impact on the participants’
involvement in the LAC project but did have implications for the researcher in reporting
structures. Initially the researcher reported directly to the Manager of Child Placement
Services. After re-organization, the researcher reported to the Children’s team supervisor
who then reported to the Manager).
Two main program areas. Child Placement Services and Family and Children’s
Services, operate from the same building location (as does Child Care Services, a
specialist area of Early Childhood and Prevention Program, and the Coordinator of Youth
Sex Offender Treatment Services). Initially this arrangement facilitated efficient service

23

delivery, but with expanded programs and staff resources needed, programs have
outgrown their spaces and are moving to other locations. All other program areas operate
from other locations within the Whitehorse area. Regional Services, whose main office is
in Whitehorse and whose social workers work in the regional area offices throughout the
territory, are responsible for Family and Children’s Services program areas as well as
Social Services and programs for seniors. The Manager of Regional Services reports to
the Director of Family and Children’s Services for matters within her program areas and
to the Director of Social Services for the other program areas.
The services to vulnerable children and their families are provided within the
Family and Children’s Services branch and are specific to each program area. Early
Childhood and Prevention programs encompass child care services (day care) and
Healthy Families services. Healthy Families work with children and families who present
situations requiring support to meet the needs of their children. Children receiving these
services are in the care of their parents. Family and Children Services programs include
three areas of services; Intake, Family Service and Family Support/Counseling.
Family and Children’s Services is the name of the Branch that includes all five
programs areas previously identified led by the Director, and is also the name of a
specific program area led by a Manager. The Family Services team works with families
and children in temporary care and are an area of specialty within Family and Children’s
Services program area (refer to the organizational chart in Appendix B). Children who
receive services from the Family and Children’s Services program area are either in the
care of their parents, or in the temporary care and custody of the Director. The third
program area is Child Placement services, which specializes in Adoption services, Foster

24

Care, and a Children in Care team. Children receiving services within this program area
are in the permanent care and custody of the Director, with one exception. When a child
who is in temporary care and custody in the region outside of Whitehorse, moves into
Whitehorse, away from parents, a social worker from the Children in Care team assumes
responsibility for the child while the regional social worker works with the family. If the
family also moved into Whitehorse with the child, the child and the family would be
assigned to a Family Services team social worker.
Pressure from the Media/Significance o f the Research
During the time this study was being proposed, in 2000 and 2001, Family and
Children’s Services in Yukon was experiencing some organizational adjustments that
included taking direct control over the day to day management, supervision and staffing
of previously contracted out group home services. This shift in program reorganization
drew reaction from the community. A private contractor and her consulting psychologist,
whose contract with Family and Children’s Services to provide group home services was
not renewed, brought to the media questions regarding the care of the children being
raised by the government (Webster, 2001a, 2001b). During this same period of time, the
media was reporting the details of a trial involving a young adult, who was charged and
subsequently convicted of a brutal rape, exposing a traumatic childhood history that
included being raised in government care (Regina v Jacob, 2002).
Perceptions that emerged in the media from members of the Yukon community
suggested that children in care, particularly those children living in group homes, were
receiving less than adequate care to meet their developmental needs (Regina v Jacob,
2002; Webster, 2001a, 2001b). It was also reported that for some Yukon children.

25

growing up in care has prepared them for a lifetime of institutional care and an ongoing
dependency on government social services (Regina v Jacob, 2002).
These were difficult claims to defend in light of the fact that, at the time, Yukon
did not have a method to assess the developmental progress of children in care.
Consequently, the implementation of the LAC Assessment and Action Records offered a
credible way to obtain information about the developmental progress of individual
children.
Background to the LAC in Yukon study
Designed as both a practice protocol as well as a research tool, information
obtained using the AARs is intended to be used in two ways. First, using the AARs as a
practice protocol offers social workers and foster parents a standardized format for
assessing a child’s well-being. At present, such a format does not exist in Yukon.
Information gained from other LAC projects suggests that use of the AARs resulted in an
improvement in the quality of care for children raised by governments. Second, by
aggregating the data, Yukon child welfare staff and management can gain a big picture
view of how well (or not) this group of Yukon children in care are doing developmentally
across the seven dimensions to be assessed. Other than demographic statistics on children
in care, this information is not currently available in Yukon. The interpretations of
research findings can lead to important policy decisions, service adjustments, and
changes to front line practice all geared to improve the experiences of children being
raised in government care.
In light of the national initiative and the promising implications of implementing
the LAC materials with children in care, the Yukon Director of Family and Children’s

26
Services endorsed the LAC in Yukon project and signed a data sharing agreement
between her and the researcher (Appendix C).
The Challenges of LAC
Prior to designing the LAC in Yukon study, the researcher undertook a review of
other LAC projects. An advisory committee comprised of representatives from all social
work teams within Family and Children’s Services, as well as representatives from youth
in care, foster parents and residential services provided consultative input into the
research design. In consultation with the LAC advisory committee, the design of the
project attempted to incorporate the following challenges identified in the other
international projects:
The Philosophical Shift
Historically, social work practice has been grounded in the practice of “keeping
kids safe.” However, LAC purports that once children have been brought into care, those
responsible for their care must go beyond keeping children safe and parent them as well
as other reasonably-resourced parents in the community would. LAC is a model of
practice that focuses so entirely on the well-being of the child that attention is also given
to needs beyond child protection. This requires a philosophical shift, not only from front
line social workers but also from all levels of government (Kufeldt et al., 2000). The
LAC protocols provide a framework to assess the developmental needs of children and to
identify needs that are not being met. It also supports and guides strength-based practice
where the focus is on identifying and developing the child’s strengths. For some social
workers and for many foster parents, this has been their practice framework. The
philosophical shift has already occurred.

27

The Time Commitment
The LAC Assessment and Action Records are lengthy documents each
comprising about 60 pages of questions. This is a frightening sight for social workers that
already feel overwhelmed with the administrative demands of their caseloads. Having
people accept the program can be difficult and the LAC pilots that have occurred have
noted this. Even being supportive of the LAC philosophy does not necessarily translate
into eager participation in completing the assessments. Acceptance seems to be more
likely when workers’ participation is voluntary and when workers experience positive
reactions from the children with whom they work. When using the materials as they are
intended, the process is meant to be a collaborative one with social workers, foster
parents and others all working towards meeting the developmental needs of the children
for whom they are responsible. Support from supervisors and managers in recognizing
the amount of work and time required is crucial to workers viewing the materials and
their use as helpful.
Training
In the pilot projects that took place in England, Canada, and Australia, training
was identified as an important component of the design of a study and subsequent
implementation of the LAC materials (Jackson et al., 1996; Kufeldt et al., 2000; Wise,
1999). Training needed to occur across all levels of agency personnel including social
workers, supervisors and management. Furthermore, training must be extended to
caregivers and youth in care. In addition to providing all the background information to
the project, training identifies the importance of acceptance and support for the project at
all levels within the agency.

28
Duplication o f Information
Social workers already express being overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork
that is required to meet policy expectations. Some of the information gathered using the
AARs would duplicate information already being collected. For the Yukon study, social
workers were to be prepared to expect this and to provide feedback on what paperwork
could be eliminated when using the LAC materials. Social workers working in the
Children’s team had already been introduced to the seven developmental dimensions
from the Assessment and Action Records and had incorporated this format for the
completion of yearly plans of care.

29

CHAPTER FOUR
Research Design
This chapter describes the research design of this workplace-based study.
According to Patton (1990, p. 150), “purpose is the controlling force in research.
Decisions about design, measurement, analysis, and reporting all flow from purpose.” For
Riessman (1994), the main deciding factor when approaching research is to plan a
method of inquiry that fits, not only the purpose but also the problem statement, the
research context, and objectives of the research question. Additionally, when trying to
conduct research in the workplace, Maluccio and Fein (1994, p. 337) propose that
workplace-based research in child welfare settings should be carried out with
“excitement, exhilaration and the desire to improve the lives of vulnerable children”, and
the practice of social workers. According to Maluccio and Fein (1994), research in a child
welfare setting:
more often than not can be accurately described as uninspiring, frustrating, time
consuming and inconsequential. In particular, the attempt to apply rigor and order
and coherence to the research enterprise in the hurly-burly of the practice setting
is a search for tidiness in an untidy world. But if one can live with the lack of
tidiness and appreciate the benefits of immersion in the clutter, the process of
doing research holds potential for excitement, for having impact on service
delivery, for clarifying ones ideas, for learning and for discovery, (p. 337)
Maluccio and Fein (1994) also identify coping strategies that are necessary for
doing research in a practice setting:

30

building and maintaining rapport, being sensitive to the political context, showing
respect for the competing demands and pressures faced by the agency, gaining
trust, demonstrating technical competence, and involving the agency actively in
the research process, (p. 337)
Similarly, Shaffer and Stebbins (as cited in Maluccio & Fein, 1994) advocate that:
conducting research...in a child welfare agency.. .requires knowledge not only of
quantitative and qualitative methodology but also an appreciation of the
organizations characteristics, especially the demands and challenges with which it
must deal with on a day-today basis, (p. 338)
Therefore, as a researcher with over twenty some years of social work expertise
and experience working with children in care, the opportunity to have some real world
effect on the lives of children in care and on improving the way social workers and foster
parents are able to work with children in care presented itself in the Looking After
Children in Yukon study.
Evaluation Research Design
The overall aim of the LAC in Yukon evaluation research study is to enhance the
developmental outcomes for children raised in government care. As such, it is a form of
applied research—intended to have some real-world effect, not only for Yukon children
being raised in government care, but also have implications for social workers and foster
parents in the way they attend to the developmental needs of children in their care. The
generic goal of most evaluations is to provide useful feedback to a variety of audiences
including sponsors, donors, client-groups, administrators, staff, and other relevant
constituencies (Trochim, 2001). The goal of LAC in Yukon is to provide information

31

useful at several levels of child welfare service delivery. At the direct service level,
information obtained regarding the developmental progress of children in care could be
invaluable to help guide the case management decision-making processes for individual
children in care. At a practice level, the collaborative approach modeled through the LAC
philosophy and information gathering process of the AARs could enhance the way social
workers and foster parents work together to parent children in care. At a policy level,
information from the aggregated AARs could be useful to managers and policy makers in
planning services. In order to obtain this wealth of information, the researcher employed
a variety of methods to obtain the data that included the AARs research and practice tool,
a survey, a focus group and unstructured interviews with participants.
Mixed-Method Approach
The idea of combining research methods is not new (LeCompte & Preissle, 1993;
Reinharz, 1992; Trochim, 2001). Consequently one can find a considerable amount of
writing about the integration of qualitative and quantitative methods (Bryman, 1988;
Cresswell, 1994; Denzin 1978; Flick 1992; Trochim, 2001), ranging from rather abstract
and general methodological considerations to practical guidelines for mixing methods
and models in one research design. A mixed-method approach is also considered a form
of triangulation (Denzin & Lincoln, 1998). Mixing methods can help delineate
overlapping but distinct aspects of a phenomenon, elaborate one set of findings with data
from another, expand potential findings, and discover paradoxes and contradictions
between results based on different methods (Greene & Caracelli, 1997). These varied
purposes for mixing methods serve, in turn, to shape the manner in which they are
combined. For example, some mixed-method inquiries have a dominant approach

32

(qualitative or quantitative) and a less dominant approach that is used in a supplemental
fashion (Creswell, 1994).
The focus of this inquiry was well suited for a mixed-method approach in that the
AARs are designed to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data
consisted of descriptive studies on the children’s developmental progress within seven
developmental domains and the qualitative data provides additional information to help
explain the quantitative results.
Various authors have reported that by combining quantitative and qualitative
methods, the strengths of each can be brought together in the same research project
(Bryman, 2003a, Bryman, 2003b; Maluccio & Fein 1994; Morgan, 1998). Morgan (1998,
p. 365) states that “health researchers are particularly likely to try and connect the
strengths of different methods to address the complexity of their research topics—
especially when a project goals include both pure research and applied uses in practice
setting.” When conducting research in the field of child welfare, Maluccio and Fein
(1994, p. 344) support the use of a combined methodology suggesting that “only the
qualitative approach in our interview experience alerted us to the richness hidden in the
quantitative data.” Equally, Morgan (1998, p. 370) argues that “qualitative methods
typically provide interpretive resources for understanding the results from the quantitative
research.”
A Collaborative Action Research Context
Collaboration has long been a watchword in applied research. Collaboration is
synonymous with teamwork, group effort, relationship and cooperation. Collaboration
ultimately implies working together, in a partnership, toward some common goal. It goes

33

beyond cooperation in accessing subjects or discussing research implications. It implies
some sense of shared conception, decision-making, and implementation. It also includes
data analysis and interpretation and dissemination of findings done in collaboration.
According to Bray, Lee, Smith, and Yorks (2000), research may be defined as
collaborative if a collaborative process was employed in any of these stages of research;
the more stages in which collaboration can be accomplished, however, the more potential
benefits accrue. Sagor (1992) suggests that collaborative research often results in better
programs and more relevant findings compared to cases when research is conducted
either by a researcher alone without community input or by an agency alone without the
collaboration of a researcher.
For the purpose of this study, research was conceived, planned and conducted in
collaboration between the principle researcher, agency social workers and administrators,
and foster care providers. An advisory committee was established to oversee the process,
design and implementation of the project. Teams working with children in care were
invited to identify members who would sit on the committee and represent their interests.
In addition to social workers, other committee members included representatives of
Children’s residential services, youth in care, and the Yukon Foster Family Association.
The committee also served to disseminate ongoing information and updates across the
Branch to staff not directly involved as participants. Once the data was summarized into
descriptive statistics, the social workers and foster parents participants were invited to
provide their interpretation of the findings through verbal and written feedback to the
researcher during group presentations.

34

Sampling
The study used an inclusive sampling based on purposeful criterion-based
sampling (Maxwell, 1996; Patton, 1990). This strategy was chosen for both the children
in care sample and the sample selection of social worker and foster parent participants.
Children in care sample
The following factors were considered in determining the type and size of the
children in care sample:
Because of the amount of time that is required to complete an AAR, a
decision was made to limit the sample size to approximately 25 children in
permanent care.
•

The workload issue of social workers and time limitations of foster parents
were also major considerations in the decision to maintain the sample size
below 25 children.

•

LAC protocols require that children over the age of 10 be included in the
assessment process. This would require training in completing the AARs.
There were many logistical problems and questions surrounding the training
issue. As a result, a decision was made to include only children under the age
of ten in the sample population.

In view of these important considerations, a decision was made to assess a ll
children in permanent care from birth to age 9. This age grouping of 23 children met the
criteria proposed for the sample. The decision to assess children under the age of 10 also
eliminated the need to provide training to the sample group in completing a self
assessment ARR. This should not imply that children under ten years old are not able or

35

should not be included in the gathering of the data. It simply means that for the purposes
of this study, and in the interests of time, and training needs, children were not directly
involved in providing the data. The numbers and age groupings of the children selected
are highlighted in the Table 4.1.
Table 4.1
Number of Yukon Children in Care by age groups, legal status, and social work team
September 1, 2001
Age groups
FAMILY SERVICE TEAM

O-I

1-2

3-4

5-9

10-14

15-h

total

Temporary Care

X*

X

X

X

X

X

X

Temporary Care

I

I

I

I

0

I

5

Permanent Care

0

4

7

12

28

26

77

Temporary Care

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Permanent Care

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

CHILDREN’S TEAM

REGIONAL TEAM

*Note. Data are deemed confidential and not necessary for the purposes o f this report at this time.

The sample population was approved by the advisory committee and viewed as an
appropriate sample by the various service teams. The Children’s team was identified as
the most appropriate team to take the lead in the implementation of the project. As
principle researcher, 1 am a member of the Children’s team.
Social worker participant sample
At the time of the study, the Children’s team was comprised of seven social
workers (including the researcher) as well as one social work student. The birth-9 year
age grouping of children in permanent care spanned all seven caseloads. Each worker had
from 1 to 7 children involved in the project requiring an assessment. In order to balance
the number of assessments to be completed amongst all of the team members, the social

36
work student assisted two of the social workers in the completion of several assessments,
and one social worker assisted another social worker complete one assessment on one
child who had previously been on her caseload.
Foster parent participant sample
It was identified through a file review that 14 foster parents were involved in
providing out-of-home-care for the sample group of 23 children. All 14 sets of foster
parents agreed to participate in the study and to complete an ARR on their respective
foster children included in the study.
Data collection
Children in Care
Using the age specific AARs, data was gathered on the developmental progress of
this group of children in permanent care. The AARs for the 23 children involved in the
project were completed over a period of 4 months between October 1, 2001 and January
30, 2002. The original proposed completion date was extended from December 31 to
January 30 at the request of the social work team due to time restraints. After completion
of the AAR, the social worker forwarded the original to the researcher. The researcher
copied the record, returning the original to the social worker for individual case planning.
Original AARs are filed on the child’s case file. Any identifying information from the
copied record was removed to ensure confidentiality of the participants.
The Assessment Action Records
The AARs were the instruments used to collect the data on the children in care.
The first Canadian adaptation of the records was used for the Yukon study. As the

37

records are under copyright, permission was obtained from the Canadian Looking After
Children project (CanLAC) to use the records in the Yukon study^.
The AARs were designed to assess all areas of development that would be
monitored informally by a “reasonable parent” (Ward, 1995). Although originally
designed as a research tool, the AARs have undergone and continue to undergo revisions
to reflect the needs of researchers, governments, practitioners, parents, fosters parents,
children in care as well as trends in current child care research (Ward, 1995,1998). In
Canada, Flynn and Biro (1998) assessed the test-retest reliability and convergent validity
of single items from the AAR. Results of their study showed both high and low reliability
and validity measures for different AAR items. What has followed is a newer
Canadianized version of the AAR that incorporates many standardized measures from the
National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (Flynn, Ghazal, Moshenko, &
Westlake, 2001).
The comprehensive records cover seven developmental dimensions: health,
education, identity, social presentation, family and social relationships, emotional and
behavioral development and self care skills. There are six versions of the records
corresponding to the differing stages of psychosocial development for children from birth
to age 18. The age bands are under 1, 1-2, 3-4, 5-9, 10-14 and 15+. For the Yukon study,
only the AAR s for the age bands 1-2, 3-4 and 5-9 was used. Each dimension in the

^Revisions to the records are continuing and, in Canada, a new “Canadianized” version is being
piloted on a national basis (Flynn et al 2001). Since the Yukon study, questions in the newest version have
been modified to correspond to those in the National Longitudinal Study for Children and Youth, the first
longitudinal study of children and youth in Canada allowing for comparisons o f outcomes for children in
care with those not in care (Brink, 2000).

38
record begins with a statement reflecting the aims of a parent for a child within that age
group for that dimension. The assessment questions are to be answered by the child’s
primary caregiver and the child’s social worker, ideally at the same time. Questions in
each dimension attempt to determine the child’s current development as well as the
degree to which the child has been given the opportunity to achieve the specific
objectives of the dimension. When further action is needed to meet an objective, the
respondents are asked to identify who will take the action. If no further action is needed,
respondents are then asked to provide an explanation. Each dimension concludes with
summary questions that ask the respondents to consult on whether the objectives for that
dimension have been met. The final question of the dimension asks the degree to which
the respondents agree or not with the assessment. If there is disagreement, the AAR
provides space to identify who disagrees and why.
The format of the records provides both quantitative data and qualitative data. The
quantitative data are intended to provide the descriptive information on the
developmental progress of the child for the seven dimensions assessed. The opportunity
to provide explanations and greater understanding of the quantitative data is provided
through open-ended questions. The degree to which each developmental objective has
been met is summarized in the record. Each AAR asks approximately three hundred
questions, too many to list here, but some of the descriptive measures include:
•

the degree to which the child is normally well, thriving and protected against
common accidents

•

incidence of health conditions

•

the child’s current educational performance

39

•

whether the child has an identified learning disability
number of school changes the child has experienced

•

whether the child has a life book

•

whether the child has a positive view of himself (as determined by the
respondents)
the number of caregivers the child has had since birth
the amount of family contact and an assessment of the quality of the contact

.

whether the child has an identified emotional and/or behavioral problem, and if
so, whether the problem was being addressed.

•

specific information on the acquisition of self-care skills for the child’s
developmental level
The reader is referred to Appendix A to review the questions in the Health

dimension of the AAR for children in the 5-9 year old age grouping.
Training Session
A one-day training session was provided to social workers, the social work
student and foster parent participants who were to be directly involved in the collection of
data. In order to provide ongoing support to foster parents, foster care staff participated in
this joint training with the foster parents.
The Experience o f the Research Participants
In order to understand the experience of the participants on the use of the LAC
materials, and to obtain their opinions on the future of the LAC project in Yukon, social
workers and foster parents were asked to provide feedback in several different ways:

40

1. Social worker participants participated in a survey and focus group at the mid
point data collection stage of the study.
2. Foster parent participants completed the same survey given to social worker
participants following the data collection stage of the study.
3. Social worker and foster parent participants were also invited to provide both
verbal and written feedback into the interpretations of the findings at the
conclusion of the data collection period and preliminary analysis. Participant
feedback is included in the discussion of the findings.
Social worker participant mid-point survey/focus group
A combined survey and focus group was used to gather information from the
social worker participants on their experiences in using the AARs at the mid-point of the
data collection stage. This combined method was developed around the needs of the
team. An exploration of the best ways to obtain information from the team indicated that
the combination of a survey and focus group would work best for everyone for many
reasons. The use of this combined method provided the social workers the opportunity to
respond to the survey only, participate in the focus group only or provide input to both.
Despite heavy caseload demands and branch involvement in two major service reviews,
four of the social workers participants participated in both the focus group, which offered
them an opportunity to discuss the study as a group, and also completed the survey. The
questions used in the focus group were based on an instrument developed for a similar
study completed earlier in eastern Canada (Kufeldt et al., 2000). A copy of the social
worker focus group questions can be found in Appendix D. Data obtained from both
methods was considered as a whole in the analysis.

41

Page one of the survey asked both quantitative and qualitative questions; the first
one soliciting a description of the experience of using the materials on a scale that ranged
from ‘very positive to very negative’. Social workers were asked how many sessions/
hours it had taken to complete a record, whether they felt the time they spent was
worthwhile, whether they had learned anything new, then to describe any new learning,
and the number of people consulted in completing the records. Page two of the survey
asked three qualitative questions describing the strengths/positives of using the materials,
the least helpful/weaknesses of using the materials, and what changes workers would like
to see. These final three questions were the same questions asked, and then discussed, in
the focus group.
Prior to beginning the focus group, the researcher reviewed participant informed
consents and confirmed their understanding or need for further clarification. A participant
information sheet was provided and reviewed with the group (Appendix F) and signed
consent was requested (Appendix G). The researcher then presented a short overview of
the proposed focus group and the outline of questions to be posed. The first question was
then asked, “What were the most helpful aspects in using the materials. Their strengths or
positives?” Responses were elicited from as many members who wanted to speak. The
researcher asked questions of the participants for clarification, intentional pauses were
allowed to occur without filling in order to allow time for further responses, and probing
questions were asked when additional information was needed. Participants also spoke
amongst each other. This process continued with the second question and then the third
question. Once enough information was gathered, the workers were asked if they could
help summarize and identify what they felt were key points. A very brief summary of

42

information was given from four other pilot projects to further explain what I was asking
for. This was followed by a discussion of each of the questions and a determination of the
‘loudest’ points.
During the focus group, the researcher wrote short notes on flip chart paper to
gather the responses. Once the recorder was turned off, a discussion ensued and several
additional comments were obtained with verbal permission of the participants. At the
conclusion of the group, the tape was professionally transcribed. The surveys were
collected (5 by the end of the day, one the following day and the 7th two weeks later).
The focus group was planned to go for 25-30 minutes and it ended at 25.8 minutes.
Ethical considerations
Two weeks prior to the focus group, the researcher met with the social work team
to discuss ethical issues including obtaining free and informed consent, principles of
workplace based research, the choice to not participate, to participate only in the focus
group, or to only complete the survey. The combination of roles of the researcher was
discussed. In addition to being a colleague of the participants, the researcher was also the
coordinator of the LAC in Yukon study. The researcher acknowledged a potential for bias
and conflict of interest and invited comments for discussion. There were none. A
discussion of the recording practice and transcribing of the focus group was further
clarified as well. After the discussion, workers were asked again about their interest,
availability and understanding of their participation.

43

Strengths and limitations o f focus group methods
According to Dick (1998) focus groups as a research methodology is particularly
suited to preliminary research such as gathering information on the experiences of social
workers in the use of this new practice tool. Stewart & Shamdasani (1991, p. 15)
recommend a focus group method when “generating impressions of new programs” and
“when diagnosing potential problems with new programs.” It is a strong, hardy and
robust method that is useful to an inexperienced researcher. Focus groups can be
organized quickly, can provide rich information in a short period of time (as opposed to
individual interviews of the same number) and can include many people. Focus group
participants can also help the researcher in the preliminary analysis and interpretation of
the information. This collaborative approach was especially suited to this research when
many social workers may already feel excluded from decisions that affect them.
When used in combination with other methodologies (such as the quantitative/
qualitative surveys used here), focus groups can provide a deeper understanding, and
richness of the information given. The direct interactions between the researcher and the
participants allow for further explanations, opportunities to clarify and a better
understanding of what is being said. Observations of body language, eye contact, tone of
voice and openness in discussion during the foeus group, all provide the researcher
additional cues about what is being said. Focus groups are a flexible and adaptable
method of research study.
Although there are many advantages of using a focus group, they also lend
themselves to some limitations as a methodology. Grouping people together to talk can
present the opportunity for stronger, opinionated voices to dominate and quiet voices may

44

not get heard. This can skew results if one person speaks more and provides more input.
This can also lead to some participants going along with the dominant opinion, wanting
to appear as part of the group. While this study did not see any dominating opinions, the
focus group may have limited some of the participation of less vocal members.
Stewart & Shamdasani (1991) point out that live participants as opposed to only
seeing responses on a survey can tend to be viewed with more credibility and their
responses seem to have more weight. I was aware of this fact and made a conscious
attempt not to give more weight to verbal responses.
The design of the focus group questions can also limit the information obtained
by being too specific. In this case, the focus group was given three questions that
specifically asked for strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for change. By asking these
specific questions, this researcher may have narrowed the focus enough to miss some
broader concerns that may have been exposed with more general questions such as those
asked in the survey. The questions about how many sessions and how many hours it took
to complete the assessments were also unclear for most participants. Some workers who
had not yet completed an assessment and others who had completed more than one,
found the question confusing.
A final disadvantage of a focus group lies with the researcher and how her biases
can provide cues to the participants about a more desirable answer or a confirmation that
an answer is good or bad. During the focus group, this researcher did ask some leading
questions and at least on one occasion offered an answer. The sample of participants used
for this survey/ focus group limits the results to this population.

45

Foster parent participant survey
Foster parents completed a survey similar to that of the social workers describing
their experiences in using the LAC materials. The survey was mailed out to all fourteen
foster parents who had participated in completing one or more AARs on a child in the
study. The survey was mailed out six weeks after the final date for completion of the
AARs. A cover letter thanked the participants for their involvement in completing the
AARs and inviting them to provide their candid feedback on their experiences in using
the LAC materials (see Appendix H). A follow up phone call was made to all fourteen
participants to remind them about completing the survey. After completing the survey,
the participants were asked to return it to the researcher in the enclosed, self-addressed
and stamped envelope.
The survey (see Appendix E) was comprised of 13 questions, 10 being identical to
the questions asked of the social workers. The three additional questions asked of the
foster parents included (a) what effect, if any, did the LAC materials have on their
relationships with specified people, (b) whether there were any additions they would like
to see and (c), whether there was anything they wanted deleted.
Strengths and limitations o f survey methods
Mail surveys are a potentially inexpensive and flexible method of obtaining
information from a large number of respondents. They allow respondents to answer and
return their survey at their relative convenience and can be completed in their own
homes.
The limitations of surveys as a data gathering method include poor or low rates of
return. Poor rates of return can result from people not willing to participate, forgetting to

46

complete their survey or losing their survey. Although response rates can range from 0
percent to 100 percent, Neuman (2000, p. 267) suggests that “most researchers consider
anything below 50 percent to be poor and over 90 percent as excellent.” In this study, the
14 foster parent participants were asked to complete a mail-in survey. Six of the 14
mailed out surveys were completed and returned to the researcher.
In addition, the possibility of biased phrasing of questions and the possibility of
excluding those who may have language or literacy problems can limit the useful of
surveys as research methods. Completing a pilot test of the survey beforehand can reduce
some limitations. Although no pilot test was completed for this study, the survey was a
modification of the instrument used in the LAC in Canada study (Kufeldt et al., 2000).
Data Analysis
Analysis o f the Quantitative Data from the Assessment and Action Records
The copied AARs were forwarded to Dr. Louise Legault at the University of
Ottawa for data entry, the preparation of a database, and the completion of a confidential
report to the researcher of the frequencies of participant responses to individual questions
in the AARs (Legault & Flynn, 2002)^. The database was provided back to the researcher
in both Excel and SPSS software formats. As Yukon government uses SAS and Excel
software but not SPSS, Excel formatting was used to generate the figures. Due to the
amount of data that was obtained, quantitative data were organized using descriptive
statistics. Univariate analysis (describing individual variables), the collapsing of response

®Permission to use the AARs, which are under copyright, was obtained through Dr Kathleen
Kufeldt principal researcher. At the time that the Yukon data was obtained, the CWLC had assumed
responsibility for this national initiative and provided support to the Yukon study through data entry into an
already created database.

47

categories and the use of subgroup descriptions to compare age groups were methods
used to present the data in a manageable and understandable form. The term ‘missing
data” is used when a question was left blank and no response was received.
Analysis o f the Qualitative Data from Assessment and Action Records
The qualitative responses to questions in the AARs were provided back to the
researcher in verbatim form. Individual responses were included in the discussion of the
findings and when appropriate, same and similar responses were grouped according to
general themes and used to provide additional explanations and clarification of the
quantitative data.
Social Worker Participant Survey/Focus Group
The survey contained both quantitative and qualitative information. The
quantitative information was aggregated and the qualitative information was grouped
according to general themes. Responses to the three identical qualitative questions posed
in both the survey and then discussed in the focus group were combined for the analysis.
A review of the focus group findings began by first reading through the transcript
of the focus group. I reviewed the participant’s responses to get a feel of the information
and to compare what I was reading to what I had heard during the focus group. The
written word is clearly very different than the spoken word. When reading, the focus is
on the words whereas, in the group setting, some of the words are upstaged by visual and
auditory information coming in at the same time. The information available from the
surveys, transcript and flip chart notes was then combined with the focus group data into
one summary. The researcher read through all of the data many times to get a general
sense of the information obtained. Ideas and patterns of responses were identified in the

48

margins of the summary. Similar or like responses were then grouped into general
categories with the researcher recording written comments on emerging themes.
The three questions asked during the focus group allowed for an initial grouping
of responses on the flip charts according to strengths, weaknesses and then suggestions
for change on the use of the LAC materials. Using those categories, a thematic analysis
looked for general themes in the responses that could be grouped together. The themes
that emerged were consistent with the challenges expressed during the other pilot projects
and will be discussed in the findings as well as underlying issues that contributed to those
challenges that were revealed.
Foster Parent Participant Survey
The qualitative analysis of the foster parent survey responses was completed
using the same methods as those used for the social worker survey. The responses were
reviewed initially for completeness and to provide the researcher with an overview of the
information. Using a blank survey, quantitative data was aggregated and exact responses
from each of the individual questions was recorded and summarized. Researcher
comments regarding emerging themes were documented.
Feedback to Participants/Input from Participants
Once all of the data for the LAC project was collected and analyzed, the
researcher prepared a summary of the information for presentations back to the
participants. Social workers, foster care workers, supervisors and foster parents were then
invited to participate in the presentation of the descriptive data that was provided from
the AARs and by the participants through the focus group and survey. Participants were
again provided with an information sheet outlining their rights as research participants

49

(Appendix I), and their written consent to participate and to use any verbal or written
feedback was requested (Appendix J). The researcher recorded comments from the
participants when they were made about the data. Social work participants were also
invited to provide written feedback on the data. The feedback obtained from the
participants is incorporated in the discussion of the findings.
Overall Ethical Considerations
LAC in Yukon is a workplace-based research study that combined the roles of
researcher, social worker and participant. It was important that the research be conducted
in an ethical and collaborative way with the intention of not only learning about the
developmental status of children in care but also creating an empowering environment for
the participants. The Director, as the legal guardian of Yukon children in permanent care,
provided approval for the study. Social workers completed the AARs with foster parents
caring for the children in care. The AARs, now an international protocol, received ethics
board approval through Memorial University for its use in the first Canadian pilot project.
Dr. Kathleen Kufeldt, principal researcher provided approval for this researcher to use the
protocols for the LAC in Yukon study. Permission from Dr. Louise Legault who
provided the data base under the auspices of CanLAC, was deemed to not be required as
ownership of the database was already co-owned by the Yukon government and provided
to the researcher through a data sharing agreement (see Appendix B).
All children involved in this research project were under the age of 10 and were
purposely not directly involved in the collection of the information. Once the AARs were
completed, the identifying information was removed for the data aggregation and analysis
to protect the confidentiality of the child in care and the participants completing the

50

assessments. Consents were obtained from social workers that agreed to participate in a
focus group that was tape recorded for analysis. Feedback on the results and
interpretations of the data was shared hack to all of the participants. The participants were
invited to offer their own interpretations of the findings through group discussions, and
for the social work team through a written report that was circulated to them. The
research component in the collection of the interpretations was explained to the
participants and a second consent to participate was sought. Looking After Children in
Yukon was approved through the University of Northern British Columbia research
ethics hoard. Only non-identifying information will he used in the reports and the thesis.

51

CHAPTER FIVE
Research Findings
In this chapter, the researcher reports on the research findings of the AARs on
children in care. The descriptive data is presented in detail to ensure that all of the
baseline data obtained is provided. Should LAC in Yukon develop into a longitudinal
study of this group of children raised in permanent care, this data could be very useful in
allowing for direct comparisons to subsequent assessment data. Following the findings on
the children in care, I discuss the results of the combined focus group and survey of the
social worker participants and then on the responses to the foster parent survey.
Children in Care Research Findings
All of the children in the study were in permanent care, living in a foster home in
Whitehorse and were between the ages of 1 and 9 years old as of October 1, 2001.
Although 23 were identified for assessment, two children moved out of the Whitehorse
area shortly after the study began and two assessment records were not returned to the
researcher. As illustrated in Figure 5.1 below, 19 children were included in the
assessment results. From this total, there were 3 children in the 1-2 age grouping; 6
children in the 3-4-age grouping; and 10 children from 5-9 years of age. Slightly more
than half of the children (58%) were boys.

52
Figure 5.1
Socio-demographic characteristics of children in care (age 1-9)

5 - 9 years N=10

26%

3 - 4 years N=6
5%

5%

1 - 2 years N=3

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

1 - 2 years N=3

3 - 4 years N=6

5 -9 y e a rsN = 1 0

M male N= 11

5%

26%

26%

□ female N=8

11%

5%

26%

30%

The Dimensions
There were children from three different age groupings in the study and a slightly
different AAR was completed reflecting the differing developmental stages for each age
group. When a specific question is asked that was not asked of all of the age groupings,
the number or sample size is less than 19 children and this will be noted.
Health
The Health dimension covers the areas of the child’s early medical history
recording, medical exam, hearing, language development, sight, growth, immunizations,
dental, health conditions, development, illnesses/injuries, diet, eating habits, exercise,
household safety issues, adult supervision. Children in care tend to come into care with
poorer health perhaps as a result of poor prenatal care or childhood neglect. The
questions in this dimension are intended to assess the degree to which:

53
• The child is normally well
• The child is thriving
All preventative health measures are being taken
• All ongoing health conditionsand disabilities are being dealt with
•

The child is reasonably protected

against common accidents

As illustrated in Figure 5.2 below, the majority of children from 1-9 years old
enjoy good health with 74% (14/19) described as doing “normally well”. For the
remaining children, 26% (5/19) were identified as “sometimes” or “often ill”. The
percentage of children described as “thriving” was less with 63.2% (12/19) of the
children described as thriving, 26 % (5/19) indicated that there were some concerns and
10.5% (2/19) were seen as failing to thrive.
Figure 5.2
Percentages of children normally well/thriving (age 1-9)

80%
74%
70% 63%
60% -

50% -

40%

30% -

26%
21%

20 %

-

10%

-

11%
N

5%

0%

Normally Weii

Som etim es ill

Often ill

Thriving

Som e
Concerns

Failing to thrive

All children in permanent care are required to have yearly medicals to monitor
their overall health and to identify and respond to any medical concerns promptly. The

54
yearly medical also provides hearing and optical screenings and can identify the need for
a further referral for a hearing or optical assessment. Children who are under 5 years of
age and not in school are expected to have a yearly dental check up and children of
school age are seen through the school dental programs. Children who have ongoing
medical, dental, optical or hearing conditions would be monitored on a more frequent
basis.
Eighty-four percent (16/19) of the children reported to have had their annual
medicals within the past 12 months. All of the respondents noted that the medical exam
either had no recommendations or when recommendations had been made, all had been
carried out to date. Some of the recommendations included maintenance of medication
therapy, having a hearing assessment, taking vitamins, having a flu vaccine and referral
for optical exams.
A hearing assessment can be requested by the parent, foster parent, social worker
or teacher in addition to the physician if there are concerns about a child’s hearing.
Eighty-four percent (16/19) indicated no concerns about a child’s hearing while 15.8%
(3/19) reported that they had concerns. For the question whether the child has had a
hearing test, 15.8% (3/19) responded that the child had, and 84% (16/19) of possible
responses were not completed.
Seventy-four percent (14/19) of the children assessed had no vision concerns
while 26% (5/19) had sight concerns. Seventy-four percent (14/19) of the children had
vision tests, while for 26% (5/19) of the children, the caregiver/social worker either did
not know when the last vision test was or did not respond to the question. Two of the
nineteen children were being monitored for possible testing at a later date. Sixteen

55

percent of the children (3/19) need to wear glasses with 2 of the 3 wearing them
sometimes (at school and for reading). Sixty-three percent (12/19) of the children do not
need glasses; while for 21% (4/19) of the children the data was missing.
Sixty-six percent (2/3) of the children aged 1-2 brushed their teeth regularly. For
the children aged 3-9 years old, 69% (11/16) had been to the dentist with 50% of them
(8/16) having gone within the past 6 months. Two of the children between 3 and 9 years
of age (12.5%) had not been to a dentist; for 2 of the children (12.5%) neither the social
worker nor foster parent knew if the child had been to the dentist and one answer was
missing. Recommended treatments resulting from dental assessments included regular
check-ups, fillings, teeth removal; teeth straightening and other. All of the children from
1-9 years old had immunizations that were up to date.
The question “child is achieving developmental milestones” was asked in the
health dimension for the 1-2 year old age group. For the three children aged 1-2 years,
there were no concerns with one child who was achieving normal milestones; for one
child there were some concerns and for the third child the caregiver/social worker had
serious concerns about the child’s development. All three children are attending the Child
Development Center. Developmental progress for the children aged 3-9 is covered in the
education dimension.
For 78.9% (15/19) of all of the children, there are no concerns with the child’s
height or weight; for 16% (3/19), there are some concerns (but not specified), and for one
child there was no response recorded. Consistent with the yearly medical, 70-80% of the
children from age 5 to 9 years had been weighed and measured within the past year.

56

Ninety five percent (18/19) of the children from aged 1-9 years old were being
taught speech as their primary method of communication. Six of the nineteen children
(32%) were also being taught another form of communication (American Sign Language
or other).
Of the 19 children in the study, over half of the children, 58% (11/19) aged 1-9
years old are diagnosed with unspecified health conditions and health professionals are
monitoring all of them. Twenty-one percent (4/19) have a physical condition. For the
children aged 3-9 years old, the question was asked whether the child had been given
information about their ongoing health condition. Twenty-five percent of the children
(4/16) aged 3-9 had been talked to about their condition while half of the children (8/16)
had not. The remaining 4/16 did not provide a response.
Just over a quarter of the children 26% (5/19) were being seen by a specialist,
while 53% (10/19) were not and 21% (4/19) did not respond. Fifty-eight percent (11/19)
of the children had no illnesses or injuries in the past year while 42% (8/19) had
experienced illness or injury. However, because the question was double-barreled
(“illness or injury”), it is not possible to distinguish between illness and injury using the
quantitative data alone. The qualitative data provided for this question lists specific
illness. The illnesses listed are: heart surgery, respiratory distress, bronchial pneumonia,
foot and mouth disease, flu, cold, ear infection, chest infection, asthma, minor cuts and
bruises, strep throat, nose bleeds, tonsils and adenoids.
Thirty-two percent (6/19) of the children have some dietary needs identified as
sensitivities to milk and other foods, problems with swallowing which require special
preparation of food, and calorie rich food supplements. All of the children from age 3-9

57

(16/16) have a healthy diet according to their foster parent and social worker. Ninety-five
percent (18/19) of the children walk or play outside on a daily basis. One response was
missing.
Numerous questions were asked in this health dimension concerning household
safety issues and practices of the foster parents. Use of child equipment was queried such
as cribs, strollers, stair gates, car seats and smoke alarms. Seat belts and car seats were
used 100% of the time. Responses to the summary question “are the children reasonably
protected against common accidents” indicated that 100% were rated as having a safe
environment. The responses to individual questions regarding household safety were
ambiguous and therefore responses were mixed.
Education
The educational development needs of children from ages 1 through 9 years vary
greatly and the objectives of this education dimension are varied for each of the age
groupings. The general areas covered in the education dimension include: a child’s
exploration of his environment; motor and social development; school readiness; types of
school program; attendance; grade levels; assessments of child’s school performance;
school changes; special needs; learning difficulties; literacy skills; special skills; and
involvement in activities outside of school. The following questions are intended to
assess the educational objectives:
•

The child is being encouraged to develop to his potential

.

Developmental delays or learning difficulties are recognized promptly and being
addressed

.

The child has an education program that meets his needs

58

.

The child has the opportunity to participate in activities both in and out of school
The child has the opportunity to develop skills in areas he is interested in

•

Efforts are being made to see that the child is happy at school.
All of the children (3/3) from ages 1-2 (100%) are fully encouraged to explore

their environments. They are also given the opportunities to play with crayons, boxes and
containers, toys, playthings, water (1-4 yr. old), sand, dough, construction toys and play
make believe (ages 3-4). All of the children are played with and talked to by their foster
parents.
For the 3-4 year olds, as shown below in Figure 5.3, respondents were asked if a
developmental delay had been noted. In answering this question, respondents could check
four different responses to this question that included “yes”, “no”, “currently being
assessed” or “don’t know”. In addition, a sidebar provided that a “child has a
developmental delay if s/he finds it difficult to carry out tasks that most children of the
same age can do easily”. Developmental delays are noted in all of the children in the 3-4
age group (6/6 or 100%). Four of the 6 children (67%) aged 3-4 also had speech that was
difficult to understand outside of the immediate family. For all of the children, remedial
action was being taken.

59
Figure 5.3
Developmental delays/remedial action (age 3-4)

120%

100%

100%
-

83%

80%

60%

40%

17%

20 %

0%
□ Developmental delay noted
■ remedial action

0%

delay noted

no delay

100%

0%

prompt action

some action

83%

17%

In terms of school readiness skills, 5 of 6 children (83.3%) aged 3-4 could count;
recognize letters or words; distinguish colors, sizes and shapes. All of them could follow
simple instructions. Despite having these skills, none of the children aged 3-4 was
deemed to be ready for school by their assessors (see Figure 5.4) and no explanations for
this were requested in the AAR.

60
Figure 5.4
School readiness/skills (age 3-4)

120%

100 %

-

h a v e skills
School re a d in e s s

not re a d y for sch o o l

100%

For the children in the 3-9 age group (N=16), seventy-five percent (12/16) of
respondents felt the children were receiving an education appropriate to their needs;
while 2 of the children (12.5%) are currently being assessed with no specifics provided
on the nature of the assessment. For the 2 remaining children (12.5%), there were no
responses given. The children were involved in a variety of learning situations including
regular school; regular school with help; special classes, nursery school and playgroups.
Sixty percent (6/10) of the children in the 5-9 age group were identified by their
social worker and /or foster parent as having a learning difficulty. A learning difficulty is
defined in a sidebar as a child who “finds it much harder to learn than most children of

61
the same age or if s/he has a disability which makes it difficult to use the normal
educational facilities”.
The number of school changes was noteworthy for several of the children from
aged 5-9 (see Figure 5.5). Responses to the question of how many school changes the
child has experienced since age 5 were: no school change for 30% (3/10) o f the children;
1 school change for 30% of the children; 3 school changes for 20% of the children and 5
school changes had occurred for 10% (1/10) of this age grouping.
Figure 5.5
School changes for(age 5-9)

35%
30%

30%

30%

25%

20 %
20 %

15%

-

10%

-

10%

10%

5% -

0%
M p e r c e n ta g e o f s c h o o l c h a n g e s

none

one

three

30%

30%

20%

missing

Sixty percent (6/10) of the 5-9 years olds had perfect attendance at school; 20%
(2/10) had 7-15 days of absence and 20% (2/10) were missing data. One of the children
was missing a lot of school because of difficulties with transportation. Grade levels were

62
not recorded consistently so school performance data cannot be presented. Nine of the 10
foster parents for the children aged 5-9 years old felt the children were doing as well as
they could in school. For 6 of the 10 children, the foster parent helped them with their
homework; 2 of the children did not have homework and for 2 of the children the data
was missing. For the question, “who discusses the child’s progress with the teacher?”,
some responses indicated there was more than one person doing this for the child. Social
workers discussed the child’s progress with the teacher for half of the children (5/10) and
it was the foster parents for 7 of the 10 children. For one child, the birth parent also spoke
to the teacher.
The literacy skills of children were assessed and, for the children ages 1-4 years
(N=9), all of the children were either read to, shown picture books or told stories daily or
up to several times a week. For children aged 3-9 (N=16), half of them borrow books
from the library weekly while 12.5% (2/16) borrow them monthly. Unfortunately 37.5%,
(6/16) either borrowed less than once a month or the respondent did not know. Over 80%
(13/16) of the children aged 3-9 years owned 10 or more books.
The question “The child has the opportunity to participate in activities both in and
out of school” was asked only of the 5-9 year olds and 9 out of 10 of the children have
participated in activities out of school. There was quite a range of aetivities that the
children participated in including golf, swimming, summer camps, therapeutic horse
riding, skating, soccer, native language, cooking, biking, hiking, gymnastics and kareoke.
For the children aged 5-9 years old, 8/10 of them can swim and ride a bicycle
while 2/10 of them are learning to do both. Seven of the 10 children have other special
skills; 1 does not and for 2 children the data was missing.

63

The questions in the summary section of the educational objectives were as
follows: For the children aged 1-2, 67% (2/3) have physical skills that are progressing
normally. Sixty-seven percent (6/9) of the children age 1-4 are usually inquisitive and
eager to learn. Communication skills is an area of concern for this combined grouping
(ages 1-4 years with N= 9) with 33% (3/9) showing serious concern and an additional
11% (1/9) showing some cause for concern. Forty-four percent (4/9) were showing good
or satisfactory progress in their communication skills. In the area of concentration, the
children aged 3-4 were split with half of the children able to concentrate (3/6) and half of
the children (3/6) having poor concentration.
Overall, the 10 children aged 5-9 appear to be doing well in meeting their
educational objectives at this time (see Figure 5.6). Educational performance matches
ability for 90% of the children; 80% are acquiring many and some special skills; 80% are
participating in many and some activities in and out of school; and 90% are always or
usually happy at school.

64
Figure 5.6
Summary of Educational objectives (age 5-9)
missing
usually
always

1Is haoDV a( school. i q

missing
•
none
som e
wide range

participât! ig in act., 1 3
participât! ig in act., 1 3

|
Is happy a : school, 50
Is happy a school, 40

participât! ig In act., 7 )
oartlclDatl ig in act., 1 3

l a c q . spe clal skills, 0
missing
few ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ liM B acq. spe clal skills, 0
som e
many
lacq. special skills, 0
missing
yes

acq. spe clal skills.

I perf. m ate les ability, |lO
ehes ability, 90
20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Percentage

Identity
As with the health and education dimensions, children in care are vulnerable to
difficulties with the formation of their identity due to the factors that being raised in care
present. Separation from their birth and extended families often leads to loss of contact,
which also can mean the loss of important family history and heritage (Kufeldt et al.,
2000). Areas explored in this dimension include:
Personal identity and self-view
Understanding of current life situation
Relationship to family, foster family and others
Life books
Social interactions
Religion
Ethnic identity

90

100

65

•

Role models
Development of ones identity is a life long process that begins at birth (Kufeldt et

ah, 2000; Tizard, 1996). In the area of personal identity, all of the children aged 1-2 (3/3)
can recognize their own names and 56% (5/9) of the children aged 1-4 know their gender.
Sixty-seven percent (4/6) of the 3-4 year old can give their full names, while 33% (2/6)
cannot. Half (5/10) of the 5-9 year olds can give their full name, address and birthday,
while the other half cannot. Eighty percent (8/10) of the children 5-9 years old were
assessed by the participants as being able to state three things that they are good at.
Overall Figure 5.7 shows that 53 % (10/19) of the children had a positive view of self and
26 % (5/19) were somewhat positive.
Figure 5.7
The child has a positive view of herself and her abilities (age 1-9)

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%
0% ■
B a g e s 1-9 years

Positive

Positive in som e situations

Don't know

Missing data

53%

26%

5%

16%

66

The experience of feeling loved and perceived as worthwhile plays an important
part in one’s beginning identity formation in childhood (Triseliotis as cited in Kufeldt et
al., 2000, p.39). Responses to AAR questions indicate that foster parents are praising the
children often (95%, 18/19), with the remaining 5% (1/19) data missing. The foster
parents are interested in the child’s activities (9/10; 1 missing) and are promptly
responding to the child’s needs (100%).
Children who understand their history and can separate themselves from their
parents’ lack of responsibility in caring for them, are more likely to show better outcomes
than those who can not (Silva-Wayne, 1995). Of the children aged 3-9,46% (7/16), have
been told why they are living with foster parents; 38% (6/16) have not been told why;
13% (2/16) are not sure if the child has been told why and, for 6% of the children (1/16),
the data was missing. In responding to the summary question of whether the child has an
understanding of their current situation, the following data was obtained:
Figure 5.8
The child has an understanding of his current situation (age 3-9)

40% -,

35% -

30% -

25 % -

20 %

-

15%

-

10%

-

5% -

0%
p a g e s 3-9 y ears

-

Clear under.

so m e under.

13%

38%

m issing d a ta
38%

13%

67

The importance of Lifebooks (memory books that record people and events in a
child’s life) for children in care has become more and more significant as we better
understand the impacts of growing up in care (Child Welfare League of America, 1993;
Fahlberg, 1991). Change of placements, different caregivers, and school changes all
contribute to the loss of important information and experiences for a child in care.
Lifebooks help children understand their past and can provide a visual memory of
experiences and people that otherwise may be forgotten. Ninety percent of all of the
children in this study (17/19) have Lifebooks, albums or mementos being saved for them
while 10% do not. For children aged 3-9 years old, 6% (1/16) could name all or most of
their birth family. Almost 70% (11/16) of the children could name a few members and
25% (4/16) of the children could not name any members of their birth family.
In the summary section for identity, respondents are asked if the child has
knowledge of his family of origin. As shown in Figure 5.9, 31 % of the children (5/16)
knew their family; 31% (5/16) knew something about their family; 25% (4/16) knew
nothing about their family and for 12.5% (2/16) there were no responses recorded. For all
of the children aged 1-9 years old, 74% (14/19) of their foster parents are open about the
child’s relationship with the birth family; 10% (2/19) are not open; 10% (2/19) make
‘some concealment” and, for 5% (1/19), the data for this question was missing. The same
question is asked of the birth family from the perspectives of the social worker/foster
parent. In responding to the question, “are the birth parents open about their relationship”
with the child, 10% (2/19) of the birth parents were deemed to be open about the
relationship; 37% (7/19) were not open; 5% were thought to make some concealment;

68
16% responded that they didn’t know; and for 32% the data for this question was
missing.
Figure 5.9
The child has knowledge of her family of origin (age 1-9)

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%
0%

I a g e s 3-9 years old

knows family

knows som e
family

31%

31%

M

knows notfiing
missing data
of family
25%

13%

Almost 80% (15/19) of the foster families for all of the children aged 1-9 speak
the same language as the child. When asked whether the language spoken was the same
as the birth family, 58% (11/19) of the responses were missing; 5% (1/19) didn’t know;
for 10% (2/19) the response was not at all; and 26% (5/19) spoke the same language as
the birth family fluently. In terms of religion of the foster family and birth family, the
question was asked only of the 5-9 year old age grouping. Ten percent of the foster
families (1/10) share the same religion as the birth family; 20% do not; 60% didn’t know
and 10% (or 1/10) of the data was missing. Seventy-four percent of the foster families
(14/19) have made some or serious efforts to ensure toys and books reflect the racial and
ethnic background of the child. Twenty-one percent (4/19) had made little or no effort.
The remaining 5% were missing data. Thirty-one percent (6/19) of the children live with
foster parents of the same or similar racial/ethnic background as the child; 53% (10/19)

69

do not and, for 16% (3/19) of the children, the data was missing. All of the children
except one (where the data was missing) have contacts with other children of the same
ethnic background. In answering a summary question of whether the child can relate to
his/her racial ethnic background for the age group 3 to 9, participants provided the
following responses as displayed in Figure 5.10. Although 25% (4/16) of possible
responses were from missing data, it is noteworthy that more than half of the remaining
children (57%, 9/16), were assessed as having little or no ability to relate to his/her
racial/ethnic background.
Figure 5.10
The child can relate to her racial/ethnic background (age 3-9)

50%
40%
30%
20%

10%
0%

I ag e s 3-9 years

_I
fully

som e
ability to
relate

little
ability to
relate

not at all

6%

6%

19%

38%

don't
know

missing
data
25%

Family and social relationships
Questions in this section cover the child’s contacts and relationships with the
foster family, birth family and with their peers. Continuity of relationships and issues of
separation are included here. The objectives of this dimension are that:
•

The child has had continuity of care

•

The child is definitely attached to one foster parent

70

•

The child’s contact with their birth family strengthens his relationship with them

•

The child has a stable relationship with at least one adult over a number of years

•

The child is liked by adults and other young people
Foster parents/social workers were asked to state the number of people who have

acted as the child’s main caregiver since infancy. Although infancy is not quantified, the
responses are highlighted in Table 5.1.
Table 5-1
Number of caregivers since infancy

# o f care givers

1

2

3

4

5

7

12

unsure

missing
data

# o f responses
(N=19)

1

2

1

3

2

1

1

4

4

%

53

10.5

5.3

15.8

10.5

5.3

5.3

21.1

21.1

Continuity of care is difficult to determine from the data, as 21% (4/19) of the
responses were unsure of how many caregivers a child has had and another 21% (4/19) of
the data were missing. It is concerning to see that 37% (7/19 responses) of children aged
1-9 years old had 4 or more caregivers since infancy. The responses to the summary
question for this objective (see Figure 5.11) were: 58% of the children did have
continuity of care (11/19); while 5 % (1/19) were showing some disruptions and 21%
(4/19) had serious disruptions of care. For 16% of the children, the response was don’t
know (1/19) or the data was missing (2/19).

71
Figure 5.11
The child has continuity of care (age 1-9)

70%
60%
50%
40%
30%

20%

10%
Continuity

Som e
disruptions

C ase
seriously
disrupted

Don't know

M issing d a ta

58%

5%

21%

5%

11%

1B a g e s 1-9

Respondents were asked to rate how frequently the child is in touch with various
birth family members and previous foster parents. As shown in Figure 5.12, most of the
responses were in the rarely and never categories.
Figure 5-12
Child has continuing contacts with family (age 1-9)

birthmom
□ rarely
never
<weekly/monthly
■ living with
missing data

birthdad

maternal
grandparents

paternal
grandparents

previous foster
parent

72

When asked whether the contact with birth family strengthens the child’s
relationship with them, only 16% (3/19) thought the contact was helpful (see Figure
5.13). Thirty-seven percent (7/19) thought some or most of the contact was unhelpful for
the child, while 37% (7/19) of the children had no contact with their birth family. Five
percent (1/19) responded “don’t know” while the remaining 5% (1/19) was missing data.
Figure 5.13
Child’s contact with birth family strengthens their relationship (age 1-9)
40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% -

H a g e s 1 -9 years

n
1
most
fielpful

16%

most
som e Un
helpful Unhelpful contacts

missing
data

21%

For ninety-five percent of the children, the closeness of the attachments to the
families they live with were rated as very well or quite well. In addition to their foster
parents, 80% (8/10) of the children aged 1-4 years had an attachment to another adult.
Twenty-one percent (4/19) of the children have difficulty being separated from their
foster parents; while 26% (5/19) did not have any difficulty with the separation. More
than half (10/19) of the data was missing for this question.
Some indications of a stable relationship can be seen through expressions of
mutual affection and attachment. For 84% (16/19) of the children, the foster parents show
them physical affection often and sometimes for 5.3% (1/19). For the remaining children

73

(2/19), the data was missing. As illustrated in Figure 5.14, ninety percent of the children
(17/19) were described as definitely attached to at least one of their foster parents; 5.3%
(1/19) show some attachment and data was missing for one child (5%).
The percentage of children rated as having a long term or fairly long-term (greater
than two years) relationship with at least one adult was high at 74% (14/19). Sixteen
percent (3/19) have a stable but short-term relationship (short term being between one
and two years); and one child (5%) has no stable relationship. Data was missing in one
case.
Figure 5.14
The child is definitely attached to one foster parent/has a stable relationship with one
adult (age 1-9)

100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%

20%

10%

n

0%
definitely

□ attached to foster parent
I child has a t least 1 stable relp'

90%

5%

n

missing
data

n

Û
long term fairly long
rep
term

n o s ta b le

m issing
data

5%

5%

5%
21%

53%

16%

74

All of the children aged 1-4 in the study are encouraged to play with other
children either frequently (78%, 7/9) or sometime (22%, 2/9). Sixty percent (6/10) of the
children aged 5-9 are encouraged to see friends outside of school, while 30 % (3/10) are
rarely or never encouraged to do this. For 10% (1/10), the data was missing. For 60%
(6/10) of the children aged 5-9, long-term friendships with other children (greater than 6
months) include those within the care system. For 90% (9/10) of the children, their long­
term friendships include children outside of the care system. As illustrated in Figure 5.15,
88 % (14/16) of children between 3-9 years old are usually liked by both adults and
children, while 6% (1/16) are usually liked by adults only. For one child, the data was
missing.
Figure 5.15
The child is liked by other adults and young people (age 3-9)
100%

70% -

50% -

30% -

liked by Adults & Children
i ages 3-9 years

liked by Adults only

missing data

75
Social presentation
Questions in this dimension are designed to find out whether the child appears to
be well cared for and that the child is learning behavior (manners etc) that is acceptable to
others in a variety of social situations. Objectives of this dimension are to assess whether:
.

The child appears well cared for

.

The child’s appearance is acceptable to other children and adults

•

The child’s behavior is acceptable to other children and adults
Responses to questions regarding diaper changes, bathing and hair washing for

the children aged 1-2 indicated that the children were being well-cared for (see Figure
5.16). Sixty-seven percent (2/3) of the children aged 1-2 were receiving excellent care
and the remaining 33% (1/3) there was no response to this question. For the children aged
3-9 years old, 94 % (15/16) had appearance that was acceptable to both children and
other adults with the remaining 6% (1/16) missing data.
Figure 5.16
The child appears well-cared for/has acceptable appearance (age 1-2 and 3-9)

100%

Child's appearance Is
acceptable to children
& adults
(ages 3-9)

90%
Child appears well cared for
(ages 1-2)

80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%

20%
10%
0%
□ ag es 1-2
B ag es 3-9

excellently cared tor

missing data

67%

33%

accept to c hildren &
adults
94%

missing data

76

For the children aged 3-9, the question was asked whether the child says please,
thank you and excuse me. Over 80% of the children were rated as using manners usually
(81%, 13/16), while 13% (2/16) used them sometimes. Six percent of the data was
missing (1/16). For the 10 children in the 5-9 age group, 50% (5/10) of them could adjust
their behavior and conversation to a wide range of situations; 30% (3/10) could not do
this all the time. For 10% (1/10) the answer was not known and for the remaining 10%
(1/10) the data was missing. Overall, 50% (8/16) of the children (Figure 5.17), aged 3-9
were rated as having behavior that was acceptable to both adults and children; 13% (2/16)
were acceptable to adults only; 6% (1/16) were acceptable to children only; 6% were
acceptable for neither and for 25% (4/16) of the respondents the data for this question
was missing. Forty percent (4/10) of the 5-9 year olds could communicate easily, while
50% (5/10) had some difficulty with communication. Ten percent (1/10) of the data for
this question was missing.
Figure 5.17
The child’s behavior is acceptable to others (age 3-9)

I a g e s 3-9

A cceptable
to children
and adults

A cceptable
to children
only

50%

6%

I

Not
A cceptable
acceptable to Missing d a ta
to adults only
either

13%

6%

25%

77

Emotional and behavioral development
This sections covers the areas of emotional and behavioral development and
includes almost 50 questions around the child’s behaviors with others; his concentration,
anxieties and worries, use of professional services; and past abuses including bullying.
Objectives of this dimension are the same for all three-age groupings:
The child is free of serious emotional and behavioral problems
The child is receiving effective treatment for all persistent problems
Ninety percent (17/19) of the children from 1-9 years old enjoy physical affection
and will go to their foster parents when needing reassurance. All of the infants aged 1-2
(3/3) display content behaviors and are not described as fretful, irritable or crying
persistently.
Concerning behaviors are presented in the negative and respondents are asked to
describe a child’s behaviors according to a Likert response scale. Response choices to the
presented behavior ranged from “definitely like the child” to “quite like the child” to “a
bit like the child” to “not at all like the child”. For many of the questions, the majority of
the respondents replied “not at all like the child”. Examples of this are as follows.
For the children aged 5-9 years, 70% (7/10) do not wet or soil themselves. For the
children 3-9 years, 63% (10/16) do not display sadness or unhappiness; 63% (10/16) do
not seem worried or anxious while 88% (14/16) don’t complain of aches or pains. For all
of the children aged 1-9 years, 63% (12/19) are not frightened of particular things and
79% (15/19) do not display self-injurious behaviors.
There were mixed responses for questions concerning concentration and
behaviors where 44% (7/16) of the children aged 3-9 years were assessed as having

78

difficulties with concentrating; 56 % (9/16) rush into things and 63% (10/16) find it
difficult to settle to tasks. Forty-four percent (7/16) of the children aged 3-9 are
destructive or steal things, while an equal percentage do not. The remaining 12% (2/16)
of respondents did not answer this question.
In response to the summary question of whether the child was free of serious
emotional and behavioral problems as illustrated in Figure 5.18, 26% (5/19) had no
problems; 21% (4/19) had minor problems; 26% (5/19) have problems which require
remedial action; 16% (3/19) were described as having serious problems and for the
remaining 10% (2/19) the data was missing.
Figure 5.18
The child is free of serious emotional and behavioral problems (age 1-9)

30%
25%

15%

10%

No problems
I ages 1-9

Minor
problems

21%

Problems exist
/ Remedial
action

Serious
problems

Missing data

10%

For 14 of the 19 children aged 1-9 years old, a variety of mental health
professionals have been utilized in the past including a clinical psychologist, a
educational psychologist, family therapist, a counselor and others but not specified.
Seventy-four percent (14/19) of the children were not seeing a mental health professional

79
at this time. Forty-two percent (8/19) of the children did not have emotional or
behavioral difficulties that required help; 53% (10/19) were getting help from their foster
parents; 5% (1/19) from their social worker and 11% (2/19) from other people. In this
case, the percentages summed to greater than 100 as in some situations more than one
person was helping or supporting the child.
In response to the summary question of whether the child was receiving effective
treatment for all persistent problems (see Figure 5.19), for 21% (4/19) of the children the
question did not apply; 32% (6/19) were receiving effective treatment; 32% were
receiving some treatment and the data was missing for 3 children.
Figure 5.19
The child is receiving effective treatment for all persistent problems (age 1-9)

35%
30%
25%

20%
15%
10%

I ages 1-9

no problems

receiving effective
treatment

receivmg some
treatment

missing data

21%

32%

32%

16%

Self-care skills
This section covers self-care, developing independence, and safety skills
appropriate to the developmental age group of the child. Objectives of this dimension are:
.

The child is being encouraged to develop early self-care skills

80
The child is learning simple self-care skills for coping with early independence:
•

The child is learning to care for himself at a level appropriate to his age and
ability with some supervision
Children in the 1-2 aged grouping were assessed in the areas of toileting, feeding

and dressing skills. All of the children were learning to feed themselves with a spoon,
while 67% (3/3) of them either could or were learning to put on their shoes and coats.
One third (33%, 1/3) of the children were learning to control their bladders and bowels.
For the 3-4 year olds, the self-care skills assessed included toiletting alone,
washing and drying hands, blowing own nose, dressing and undressing self, using a knife
and fork, helping to tidy playthings and being able to recognize their own belongings.
Consistently for all of the skills, over 80% (5/6) of the children in this age group could do
the skill alone, with help or were learning to do it.
For the 5-9 year olds, self-care skills showed higher percentages of children who
could do the skill, could accomplish the skill with help or were learning. This question
included the skills of brushing teeth, bathing and washing themselves and getting a drink
or snack. For the early independence skills, the results were mixed with 80% (8/10) or
more of the children able or learning to do dishes, cross quiet roads safely and avoid
common hazards. Percentages dropped to 40 % (4/10) for those able or learning to
answer the telephone; 50% (5/10) who could make or were learning to make an
emergency call, and 50% (5/10) who could or were learning to handle small amounts of
money.
In summarizing (see Figure 5.20) a child’s self care skills, the social worker and
foster parent were asked to assess whether “the child (age 1-4) is being encouraged to

81

develop early self care skills and whether the child is learning simple self care skills for
coping with early independence.” For the children ages 5-9, participants were asked to
assess whether “the child is learning to care for him/herself at a level appropriate to his
age and ability with some supervision.”
Figure 5.20
Summary of Self -Care Skills (age 1-4 and 5-9)
60%
50%
40%
30%
20 %

10%
0%

□ a g es 1 -4
I a g es 5-9

Many skills

Som e
skills

44%

22%

Competanl Learning
Few skills to care for to care for
self
self

Missing
data

33%
20%

50%

30%

Data on Research Participants
The data analysis on research participants is presented in two parts beginning with
social worker participants followed by foster parent participants. All of the participants
were invited to attend a one-day training workshop in preparation for the completion of
the AARs. All seven social worker participants and eight of fourteen foster parents
attended the training. Both social workers and foster parents who had attended the
training were also permitted to use the AARs with other youth in their care, who were not
included in the study, but with whom the participants felt using the AARs would be
helpful.

82
Social worker participant survey and focus group
All seven social workers took part in the survey and focus group. Completed
surveys were received from all seven social workers. Beginning with the survey
component, the overall experience of using the LAC materials by social workers ranged
from 3 social workers reporting a “somewhat positive” experience, 2 reporting a “mixed
reactions”, 1 reporting a “very positive” experience and the seventh social worker
checking off “very positive”, but noting that she actually felt somewhere between “very
positive” and “somewhat positive”. No one indicated that the experience had been
negative.
The second question in the written survey asked about how many sessions/ hours
it had taken to complete a record and whether social workers felt the time spent was
worthwhile. The question was asked in three parts. The first part of the question asks,
“How many sessions did it take to complete the records”. The seven responses ranged
from 1-6 sessions with two responses indicating they were not finished yet and one
response reporting that it had taken 6 sessions and 8 hours so far as they were working
with a youth (who was not part of the study). The second part of the question asks, “how
many hours did it take overall”. For this question, response ranged from 2-8 hours per
assessment with two social workers noting they had not yet completed one assessment,
and for social workers who had completed more than one assessment comments included:
•

“Varies, as it includes time spent by foster parent preparing for the meeting”

•

“I expect that the questions will promote longer discussion with foster parents and
with teenagers as I improve with the tool.”

83
All but one social worker found the investment of time worthwhile, with only one
social worker having mixed feelings about the time invested. Social workers identified
positive impacts on their relationships with the youth, and the amount of information
about the child that they were able to obtain as reasons why they felt the time investment
was worthwhile. Comments made by the social workers about the investment of time
being worthwhile included:
•

“Absolutely! In my opinion the time strengthened my relationship with the boy. It
also promoted discussion that may not have occurred without specific questions”

•

“Yes but I wish I had more time to do the questionnaire. I felt rushed in
completing the form”

•

“It has been very worthwhile. The 2-14 hours have been intense. Lots of
information and questions. The time has provided opportunities to explore [foster
parents] views and feelings about the situation of her foster child”.
All seven workers felt they had learned something new and some of their

comments on what they learned were:
•

“how thorough an LAC assessment can be”
“the importance of rapport was emphasized when working with people”

•

“the prepared questions helped to stimulate discussion”

.

“getting to know more about the youth; their interests and activities; the child’s
achievements;”

84

One worker also commented that she now understood the new formatting for the
child’s “plan of care^” and how it matched with the LAC assessments. According to the
social workers, most of the assessments had been completed with the social worker and
foster parents. One social worker consulted with a medical doctor and previous social
worker in the completion of the child’s assessment.
The three questions designed for the focus group were provided to all participants
prior to the group interview. Two workers who were unable to attend the focus group
gave their input to the focus group questions in writing. Four of the five workers who
attended the focus group gave written responses to the three questions as well as their
verbal responses during the group.
Themes o f the social worker participant combined survey/focus group
The following responses include information collected and analyzed from the
written surveys, the transcript of the focus group and the flip chart summary recorded
during the focus group. Workers identified strengths of using the LAC materials to be;
the collaboration that occurred with the foster parent in working together with the
worker and sometimes the child, to complete the assessment. Workers felt they
got to know both the needs of the child better and the work of the caregiver,
the transference of the information easily to the child’s plan of care document
and the easy identification of what tasks needed to be attended to and what had
already been taken care of.

’ As will be discussed in Chapter 7, one o f the policy changes that occurred during the study was
the re-formatting o f mandatory yearly plans o f care for all children in care to reflect the seven dimensions
assessed in the AARs.

85
the increased knowledge and understanding of the needs of the child that
developed through the AAR process for both the social workers and, in their
opinions, for the foster parent.
.

the questions asked in the assessment were good in that they were thorough, kept
people on track; they were open ended, new, and led to discussions.
Workers identified the areas of weakness in using the LAC materials to be:

.

the amount of time required in completing the assessments.
This was further sub-categorized into the time it took to go through the materials

with the foster parent and the time it took to coordinate the numerous sessions required
with the foster parent. The amount of time was further increased when working with a
foster parent who had not attended the training, and when a child/youth was included in
the assessment.
•

the difficulties workers and foster parents had in fitting their responses into the
ranges that were offered in the AAR. Much of the time they wrote the specific
answer in the margin of the AAR because they were not able to figure out what to
say.

.

the importance of training for all participants. Social workers identified a
considerable difference in completing the documents depending on whether the
foster parent had attended the training or not. Lack of training placed greater
demand on the social workers in having them provide some training to the foster
parents.

•

Social workers further expressed comments about their inexperience with using
the tool, which meant they were reading the questions and which felt awkward.

86
•

Having to record the responses of the foster parent seemed to depersonalize the
process.

Other comments in this area included;
“hard to stay focused on the questions with other things to do”
“cumbersome to write everything down”
“felt intrusive with an untrained foster parent; felt I was a nuisance”
During the focus group session, there were many more areas of weakness
identified than there were strengths identified in using the LAC materials. Visually the
areas of strength took up half a page of flip chart paper, while areas of weakness took up
one full page and part of a second.
For the question on suggestions for change, social workers in the focus group
identified four ideas. It should be noted that time had run out and this area did not get
adequate time for exploration. As well, there was not time to do an initial summary with
the social workers on what they thought were their priorities in terms of these four
suggestions. They are listed here in no particular order:
•

Training is necessary for all users of the LAC materials and has a positive impact
on the use of the materials and the process of gathering the information

.

Formatting of the assessments should indicate the summary from the year before
for comparative purposes.

.

There needs to be a place to list any medical or physical diagnoses up front.

•

The distribution of the assessments to be completed should be fairly distributed
across a team.
Written responses from the social workers provided the following suggestions for

87

change:
The time required setting up meetings with the foster parent, and then to complete
the assessment needs to be understood and given recognition by the employer.
The time requirements are increased when people are just getting to know one
another and when the caregiver does not have the LAC training.
It would be preferable to shorten the number of questions to be answered because
of the time required to complete the assessment
There should be an understanding that, over time, implementation will improve
with practice and experience in using the materials.
The importance of training for all involved in using the materials was
emphasized.
•

There should be a computerized format for the assessments
The following information was revealed at the conclusion of the focus group after

the tape was turned off. Social workers said that they wanted the employer to recognize
the amount of time required completing the assessments. They were feeling rushed to
have the assessments completed by the desired time. Social workers indicated that they
sometimes felt silly and unskilled when they were working through the documents with
foster parents. This was most concerning to them when working with an untrained foster
parent because not only did the social worker have to provide some training and
explanation, but the social worker was still learning to use the tool themselves. This put
them in a position where they sometimes felt like a nuisance.
Foster parent participant survey
Fourteen foster parents participated in the study and each foster parent received a

88
follow up evaluation questionnaire to complete by mail at the conclusion of the datagathering phase. Six out of 14 (42.8%) mailed questionnaires were returned by the
requested date. All foster parents received a follow up phone call or message encouraging
them to complete the assessment if they had not already done so. The response rate of
42.8% would be considered poor according to Neuman (2000).
All of the six foster parents who responded to the survey felt the experience of
using the LAC materials was positive (3/6) or somewhat positive (3/6). Foster parents
wrote that the amount of time needed to complete the materials ranged from 3-15 hours
and the number of sessions ranged from 1 to more than 6. All six of the foster parent
respondents indicated that the time invested was worthwhile. One foster parent provided
the following further comment to the question of the AAR being worthwhile;
“Yes if the information is used and kept as a means of tracking the development
of a child: no if the information is destroyed or covered up to hide
accountability.”
Half of the foster parents (3/6) learned something new by doing the assessment.
One foster parent provided the following comment on what was learned:
•

“The [department] has a very inadequate system of tracking children almost to the
point of neglect and negligence. The history of this child both before care [and]
while in care was very vague. Foster parent input was critical to being able to
complete the information requested.”
Many of the foster parents stated that they had completed some or much of the

assessments on their own. One foster parent indicated they had completed one AAR
completely on their own. Two of the foster parents had also consulted with a doctor to

89
complete the AAR.
Foster parents were also asked to comment on whether completing the AARs had
any effect on relationships with specific people. Foster parents were asked to check any
effects using the following Likert scale: very positive, fairly positive, no effect, fairly
negative, and very negative. One foster parent indicated that the effect on the relationship
with the social worker was “very positive”. Three foster parents indicated that there were
fairly positive effects on relationships with the young person, the social worker and with
the health care worker. The remaining 16 responses were checked as having no effect on
any relationships from five of the six foster parents.
Foster parents were asked to identify what was the most helpful aspect of using
the materials. Their responses included the following
•

“Having so much information in such a form will be so helpful and if the child
moves. And, having the opinions and or perceptions of someone else to
questions”

•

“Keeping this fresh”

•

“Knowing the department was making some attempt at trying to improve the care
they provide for children in care”

•

“Will be good for child to review at some time in the future”

•

“Keep up my own records”

•

“[Information] all in one book. I hope we get to continue this”
Foster parents were next asked to indicate what they thought was the least helpful.

Two responses were left blank; three of the responses indicated that the social worker
either did not participate or was not very involved due to time restraints, and one foster

90
parent wrote the following comment regarding the training:
“a complete waste of time especially when $$$ were not offered to compensate
peoples time”
Responses to the question requesting suggestions for change included 2 left blank,
one responding with a question mark-?; one response indicating “none” and the following
comment from one foster parent again regarding the training;
“training for social workers only-foster parents have better things to do like
parenting. Asking [foster parents] to give up a Saturday was an insult-no special
training was required to answer the questions or justify the reasons for doing it”
One foster parent commented that she would like to see training offered after the
LAC assessments were competed. Comments on what should be deleted included “ a lot
of repetitious questions” and “no further actions needed” questions as “they were very
unnecessary”. One additional comment was included at the end of the survey with the
foster parent writing:
“this [survey] should have come out sooner while this was still fresh. This
information gives the [social worker] a more personal look at the child they
represent. It will give older child input into their life and a way to start a hard
conversation.”

91
CHAPTER SIX
Discussion of Research Findings
The LAC philosophy and corresponding practice materials attempt to mimic as
closely as possible the good parenting practices of a reasonably resourced parent in the
community. The AARs provide corporate parents with a guideline of what parents need
to pay attention to in order to meet the developmental needs of their children and
hopefully prepare children to become healthy adults. As noted in the review of the
literature, the seven developmental dimensions assessed are not exclusive of each other.
Experiences and events in any child’s life can impact them across many of the
developmental dimensions. Although there are never any guarantees for any parent, there
is strong research that links certain practices of parenting with more positive outcomes
for children. For children in care, the unintended negative realities of growing up in care
can affect a child across all of these seven dimensions. Placement moves, having many
people responsible for their care, the stigma of being in foster care and loss of contacts
with others are some of the unfortunate conditions that can exacerbate the life situation
for an already vulnerable child.
On an individual child basis, the LAC materials provide a structured practice
protocol designed to first assess a child’s current developmental needs and then plan for
how those developmental needs of the child will be attended to. When the assessments
are completed on a group of children and the data aggregated, information can be
obtained that can identify where possible program or practice changes can be made to
enhance the care for all of the children. In addition to a general overall discussion of the
themes that emerged through the aggregation of the data, direct comments from the study

92
participants on their interpretations of the data will be presented.
The Well Being of Children Raised in Care
Health Status o f Children in Care
The information obtained under this area of investigation confirmed the previous
research that purports that the majority of children who come into care arrive with poor
health and pre-existing health conditions. Almost 80% of the children in this study were
found to have health conditions and disabilities that require special attention.
“With some [children in care] it was very clear when the child came into care that
some of these medical conditions cleared up and improved dramatically. This
speaks to the exceptional care by foster parents.” (SW)
“usually [child in care’s] health clear up after 6 months to a year in care.” (SW)
The children in our study are having their yearly medicals completed, and for
most, regular vision, hearing and optical assessments. For all of the children, their
immunizations were up to date. That is consistent with high immunization rates for all
infants and young children in Canada. However, according to the Canadian Institute of
Child Health (2000, p. 58), “this relatively new form of safety for children requires
constant vigilance to maintain and must not be taken for granted.” For the children aged
1-4, the foster parents are dealing with children with heart conditions, respiratory
problems, ongoing Bus, colds, ear and chest infections. For the children aged 5-9, the
conditions requiring medication therapy were more prevalent as were emotional and
behavioral issues.
Many of the children in the study also had special dietary needs including low
tolerance or sensitivities to dairy products requiring limited consumption, other food

93

sensitivities, and some children required special management of their food due to choking
and difficulties with swallowing. Overall three quarters of the children were generally
healthy.
It appeared that for this group of children there is a need to recognize and
understand that many will have health conditions that will require attention well beyond
that of a typical child.
“I am worried that children [in care] who are reported as unwell may give the
impression that health needs are unmet when actually some of the more serious
conditions might be the reason the children are actually in care.” (SW)
Given the greater health needs of this population of children, the importance of
regular and ongoing medical check ups is highlighted. Foster parents in this study want to
see 100% of medicals done.
Furthermore, ensuring that the child has a consistent doctor who has knowledge
of the child’s medical history and the importance of maintaining and obtaining good
medical records are also highlighted (Butler & Payne, 1997; Klee, Soman & Halfon,
1992; Simms & Halfon, 1994).
Issues regarding the safety of a child’s environment revealed misleading data.
Although the summary data indicated that 100% of the children were residing in a safe
environment, further scrutiny of the individual safety questions revealed ambiguous
responses. Take for example the following question and the responses provided:
1. Have the child’s foster parents taken steps to ensure that all medicines, cleaning
fluids and poisonous substances are locked in a cupboard with key removed?
Response: (N=19): Yes=15, No=4

94
Does this mean that medicines and other substances are not locked away but are
nonetheless put in an inaccessible location? Or does this mean that in 4 instances these
substances are accessible to the children? Further scrutiny of foster parents would be
required to determine what is meant by the responses.
According to the Canadian Institute of Child Health (2000, p. 74), the leading
cause of death for Canadian children aged 1-4 is from injuries and poisoning, and for
children aged 5-9, from external causes of injury (p. 106). Although infants in Canada
rarely die from injuries, the injuries they do experience are most likely to occur in the
home environment (Canadian Institute of Child Health, 2000, p. 46). Injuries and
poisoning are all potentially preventable. However, less than one-fifth of Canadian
parents viewed childhood injuries as “very or completely preventable” (Canadian
Institute of Child Health, 2000, p. 68). Yukon children in foster care need to reside in
home environments that make efforts to ensure all injury prevention safety measures are
taken. These efforts include age-appropriate supervision as well as modifications to the
home environment such as baby gates, locked medicine cabinets and approved child beds
designed to prevent accidental injuries. In addition, continuing education and information
regarding child safety issues needs to be provided to both the caregivers and social
workers of children in care.
Education Status o f Children in Care
A child’s education is a high priority for parents who understand the longer-term
implications of education and it impacts on future quality of life issues. The school
system with its multiple academic, social, and recreational opportunities can be an area of
constancy for children whose lives are disrupted and chaotic. Staying in school and

95

participating in one activity outside of school are documented to be two strong protective
factors that can promote resiliency in children (Gilligan, 2000). Children in care are often
further disadvantaged in their schooling when there are many placement moves, which
often results in a school move as well. Changing schools means a loss of familiarity to
ones teacher and friends as well as loss of educational information. During the time it
takes to adjust to these changes, children cannot focus on their learning. For the schoolaged children in our study, only 3 of the 10 had had no school moves. Sixty percent of the
children had between 1 and 5 school moves and all of the children are under 10 years old!
•

“ .. .how many of the school changes occurred prior to coming into care and also
how many occurred post permanent wardship. We may not only want to know
how the children are doing, but also how they are doing in comparison since they
have entered care.” (SW)
For Whitehorse children in permanent care, developmental delays are noted in all

of the children in the 3-4-age grouping and those many of the same children have speech
difficulties. For the 5-9 age group, 6 of the 10 children (60%) were identified as having
learning difficulties. School programs appeared to be quite specialized with many of the
children of school age involved in a variety of learning situations. The majority of
respondents felt the children were receiving appropriate educational programming for
their needs. However, there were areas of identified need:
•

“Important that the transition between CDC, [Child Development Center], and
kindergarten for our special needs children be smooth. [Foster parents] often
frustrated as their children have immediate access to [occupational and
physiotherapists and speech-language pathologists] in CDC, then move into the

96
education system where they may have to wait up to a year for an assessment.”
(SW)
•

“Need more specialists to identify FAE/FAS in younger children sooner if
possible instead of waiting when [child in care] gets into school.” (SW)
“School system needs to be more aware of the FAS/FAE problem in Yukon.”
(SW)
The children were also involved in a wide variety of additional activities outside

of school.
“It’s important to engage the kids in a sport/activity that they love to do young so
that it may follow them up past 9 years old [and] through to the teenage years.”
(SW)
Social workers and foster parents need to ensure that a child’s education program
and opportunities to participate in activities outside of school continue to be highlighted
and are given a high priority in caring for Yukon children in care. “Participation in sports,
recreation and the arts may contribute to the resiliency of children and protect against
psychosocial problems” (Canadian Institute of Child Health 2000, p. 90). However,
according to one social worker in this study:
•

“It is difficult to find appropriate help or programming for children with a mild or
less severe delay. I find gaps in the system and it can be very frustrating for social
workers and foster parents.” (SW)
General comments from foster parents regarding data from this dimension were:

.

“Wow” (FP)

•

"New foster parents need to know this information” (FP)

97

•

“we want actual diagnoses and reason for [child’s] delay.” (FP)

Identity Status o f Children in Care
Children in care are prone to difficulties with identity formation (Kufeldt et al.,
2000). Inconsistent, neglectful or abusive early parenting contributes to a child coming
into care with a poor sense of self. Once in care, placement moves, loss of contacts with
birth family, loss of information about one’s past, and the possibly of competing loyalties
between birth families and foster families can all exacerbate the already complicated task
of figuring out who one is and how one fits into the world.
For our children in care, almost 80% of the children were assessed as having a
positive view of themselves, although only half of the children seemed to have some or a
clear understanding of their current life situation. Comments from social workers include:
•

“Unless a child learns about the forces which shaped him, the history of his
people, their values and customs, their language, he will never really know
himself or his potential as a human being. National Indian Brotherhood 1972.”

(SVO
“Workers have to remember to continue to go back to this as children get older.
Understanding why they are in care at the different developmental stages is so
important.” (SW)
Almost all of the children have Lifebooks being prepared for them, which was
very positive given the time requirements of this task.
•

“Workers and foster parents should work closer together on [children in care]
lifebooks. Lifebooks are very important to the [child in care] when growing up in
a foster home.” (SW)

98
Areas for further scrutiny would include the child’s knowledge of their family of
origin and whether the child can relate to their racial/ethnic background. The data
indicated that the numbers of children with knowledge of family was low, as was the
ability to relate to their cultural background. However, given the ages of the sample, the
developmental delays, and the amount of contacts with birth family (discussed in Family
and Social Relationships dimension), the low percentages may be better understood.
Comments from social workers included:
“Children especially First Nations children in care should be told who they are
related to.” (SW)
•

“More work needs to be done teaching the First Nations children in care about
their clan systems and how this system works.” (SW)

Family and Social Relationships Status o f Children in Care
Relationships, their importance, their quality, and their continuity are all areas
highlighted in the questions in this dimension. For children in care, their relationship to
their family of origin is disrupted and for many children a replacement family can never
quite take its place (Jackson, 1998). The complex task of developing relationships is
again much more complicated for children in care who are vulnerable to placement
moves and loss of continuity of care.
For the Yukon children in permanent care in this sample, continuity of caregivers
is an area that raises concerns given that 37% (7 of 11 known responses) of the children
aged 1-9 had had 4 or more primary caregivers since infancy. Respondents felt that only
just over half of the children had continuity of care, while 26% were deemed to have
some (5%) or serious (21%) disruptions. Unfortunately, 16% of the data was either

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missing or not known for this question. One social worker commented:
.

“We need to ensure our [children in care] have fewer foster homes. History shows
[children in care] bounce around a lot from foster home to foster home.”
What the data does suggest is that serious attention must be paid to the stability of

the child’s present placement and the need to monitor, support and promote an
attachment process with a caregiver.
Foster parents and social workers reported promising information on the assessed
attachments of their foster children with 95% of the children being definitely or
somewhat attached to the foster parents. For almost 75% of the children, the relationship
was described as long term or greater than two years in length. “A healthy bond with a
caring adult, particularly a parent, is an important building block of resiliency and, as
such, can have a lasting positive impact on children’s health and well-being over the
long-term” (Canadian Institute of Child Health, 2000, p. 215). For the social workers:
•

“Relationships with caregiver needs to be well documented.” (SW)

•

“We need to put a lot of effort and time into this area. Work to keep relationships
going." (SW)
However, when it came to maintaining contacts with previous foster parents, the

data indicated that over 60% of the children rarely or never had that contact. A foster
parent commented that:
“We want the department to support us with continuing visits [for children in
care] with past foster parents.” (FP)
Relationships with birth families are an area that also requires a closer look to
understand the data that was provided. When asked how often the children were in

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contact with various members of their birth family, the responses were primarily reported
as “rarely in contact” or “never”. Only 16% of the respondents felt the contact was
helpful. This seems like a really low percentage. However, the data does not provide
explanations to fully clarify why, when birth family knowledge and contact is deemed
important for children in care, our children do not seem to have a lot of contacts or
knowledge of their family of origin.
•

“It appears that contact with family will be an issue we will have to deal with—
access to birth family does not seem to be cut and dry when birth family are
involved.” SW
“[Permanent wards] should at least know their family tree if there is no family
contact.” SW
Sometimes the lack of contact results from the withdrawal of the birth family after

a permanent care order. Another contributing factor may be the age of these children and
the significant number of developmental delays making explaining and understanding of
their life situation more difficult and complex. In addition, one social worker questioned
whether the child’s legal status impacted on this data when she wrote:
•

“I believe the data about children’s contact with birth family members (i.e. rare)
needs to be compared on the basis of legal status as this study was limited to
children in permanent care where reunification is no longer a goal.” (SW)
In terms of peer relationships for children in care, one social worker made the

following two comments:
“Often our children tend to have limited social contact with other children that are
not [children in care] except for in school.” (SW)

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•

“We must actively involve our kids in normalized activities to encourage healthy
social development.” (SW)

Social Presentation Status o f Children in Care
We live in a world where judgments about us are made by the way we look, the
way we speak and the way we act in social situations. Children in care are often
stigmatized because they are in care and this makes them already different from other
children. The way a child is dressed and is taken care of can translate into perceptions of
being cared about. The questions in this dimension relating to a child’s appearance are
asked differently in each developmental age grouping. For the majority of children where
there was data, the respondents stated that the children were either excellently cared for
(67% aged 1-2) or their appearance was acceptable (94% ages 3-9). The remaining
percentages were all from missing data. As a practicing social worker, the Assessment
and Action records drew my attention to the need to ask questions about the child’s
appearance and these questions should also be asked of teachers and others who are in
contact with the child. Even more so than typical children, children in care are at risk of
standing out in the crowd simply by being in care. Ensuring that their physical
appearance (i.e., clothing and personal hygiene) does not stigmatize them any further is
important. Appropriate clothing and the purchase of hygiene products are basic supports
that can he provided for children in care.
Half of the children had social behavior that was seen as acceptable to both other
adults and children. However, half of the children aged 5-9 had some difficulty
communicating with others.
•

“50% appears a bit high. We need to work on communication problems.” SW

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In addition to the comments made regarding the data, one social worker
wrote the following recommendations:
•

“That the use of this tool continues as the child gets older” (SW)

•

“Continuation of [this LAC] project” (SW)

.

“Good work” (SW)

Emotional and Behavioral Development Status o f Children in Care
The well researched situation of being separated from ones birth family as a result
of abuse or neglect, and then being subjected to many of the unintended but negative
aspects of the foster care system, places children in care at a high risk for developing
emotional and behavioral problems.
According to the Canadian Institute or Child Health (2000, p. 209), “abuse is a
profoundly important determinant of mental health and well-being.. .Further, the impact
of child abuse is long lasting and pervasive, negatively affecting many aspects of the
child’s life.” The consequences of child abuse include emotional and behavioral
problems. The objectives of assessing this dimension were to determine the extent of
children suffering from emotional and/or behavioral problems and then to determine if,
when there were identified problems, the child was receiving help.
For the children in our sample aged 1-9, 63% had emotional and behavioral
problems ranging from minor to serious. Given the reported number of caregivers,
developmental delays, health conditions and school changes, this does not seem too
surprising. Many of specific emotional and behavioral difficulties noted included
problems with concentration, impulsivity and difficulty settling to tasks, many of which
are symptoms of children with alcohol related birth defects. The study did not attempt to

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determine the extent to which this sample of children had a specific diagnosis of
FAE/FAS (now referred to as FASD, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder). Foster parents
noted that they would like to have children in care assessed for FASD.
Many mental health professionals have been utilized (including psychologists,
therapists and counselors) to treat identified emotional and behavioral problems. Sixtyfour percent of the children were identified as receiving effective treatment for an
identified problem.
.

“There has been noticeable changes as foster parents now pay attention to areas
addressed in this project. Community resources to meet need is used
appropriately. Definite and positive changes seen.” (SW)

Self-care Skills Status o f Children in Care
Preparing children for eventual independence is a process that begins very early in
life. It is important for children to learn how to care for themselves to the best of their
abilities. Beginning with dressing, feeding and toileting skills, children within the
developmental age grouping of 1-9 years old can progress to taking care of their
belongings and helping out with family tasks. Results from the project indicated that
children were making progress in all age groupings and for most skills. What was most
helpful through this dimension was identifying the specific self-care skills that a child
should be accomplishing for their developmental level. The assessment allowed for a
comparison of the child to a typical child of that developmental level. For some children,
the checklist identified areas of advancement and accomplishment as well as areas that
the foster parent may not yet have addressed with the child (i.e., answering the phone). In
light of the number of children in this study with developmental delays, this dimension

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also identified which specific skills the child was behind in and brought to light in a
practical way the implications of developmental delays on day-to-day life of the child and
foster parent.
Looking After Children as an Effective Assessment Tool to Track Developmental
Outcomes for Children Raised in Government Care
Both the social workers and the foster parents liked the LAC materials and its
philosophy of focusing on a child’s overall well being. The foster parents showed eager
participation in the project and were anxious to have feedback of the results. Despite the
amount of time required to complete the assessments, 83% of the assessments were
completed. However, the collaboration between foster parents and social workers that
LAC promotes did not occur to the extent that it was intended. This is likely a direct
reflection of the current workloads of the social workers working with the children in
permanent care and not an indication of disinterest. It should also be considered that, at
the same time as this project was being undertaken, there were also two additional service
reviews being conducted within the Branch that required the time and attention of all
Branch staff. It is hoped that with feedback from the project, all the participants will see
the value of the LAC materials to their practice and, when given a manageable workload,
the LAC materials will enhance their work with children in care.
Social Workers
A review of the findings provided what initially seemed to be opposing views. On
one hand, workers were reporting in the survey that they felt generally positive about
their experiences in using the LAC materials. Yet, during the focus group, they listed far
more areas of weakness than areas of strengths in using the materials. The information

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seemed contradictory until I was able to take a closer look at what workers were saying.
Some of the revelation came from the information provided after the tape was turned off
in the focus group. It was as if workers were then able to reveal what some of the
underlying issues that affected them were, while using the LAC materials. What has also
become clear is that workplace-based research cannot operate in isolation from other
activities that workers are exposed to during the same time period and that these other
events impact on their experiences reported.
The main points expressed by the workers were similar to those issues presented
as challenges for the other pilot projects completed in England, Canada and in Australia
(Jackson, 1995; Jones et al., 1998; Kufeldt et al., 2000; Wise, 1999). First, the
philosophical shift required to change ones practice from a “keeping children safe” focus
to a “developmental model of parenting” focus does not appear to have been met with
any resistance from this group of social workers. Workers liked the shift in focus and felt
that they had already begun focussing on the child’s overall wellbeing when working
with children in permanent care. The training did provide them with a clearer
understanding of their roles and responsibilities when attending to the child’s overall
wellbeing. Workers talked about the thoroughness of the assessments, the important
information about the child that they learned from the process, the more intimate day-today information they obtained that helped them to understand the child’s life better and
the knowledge of the child’s achievements. This developmental model identifies the
child’s areas of strength and needs and identified what areas required attention. Using the
seven dimensions allowed for all developmental areas to be addressed for all children.
Working with the foster parent in completing the assessment allowed the workers to

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engage in an ongoing exchange and sharing of information with the foster care providers.
The positive impacts on the relationships with both the foster parents and with the
child that occurred during the assessment process was commented upon many times. This
collaborative approach helped to identify to the workers the work that foster parents were
doing to meet the needs of the child. The philosophical shift that the LAC materials
requires may not really be much different for this team of social workers who are
responsible for the care of children whose birth families’ rights have been terminated.
Working with children in permanent care demands more than just keeping children safe.
Social workers in this team are already accustomed to doing assessments and
comprehensive reviews with children. Workers commented that the LAC materials
helped to provide a framework for setting up a child’s plan of care and the format of the
seven dimensions offered a consistent way of assessing children for the whole team.
The second challenge found in the other pilot projects and echoed in this research
was the whole element of time and what the implications of time were for the workers.
This appeared to be the ‘loudest’ issue that came out of this research and further
exploration revealed the underlying concerns. Workers were concerned with both the
amount of time it took to set up the appointments with the foster parents to work on the
assessments and the time it actually took to go through the questions. The time to set up
appointments was not recorded so the extent of this impact on workers’ time cannot be
quantified. Workers identified it to be a considerable problem for them.
In addition, the time requirements needed to complete an assessment were a
problem as workers indicated it was taking between 2 hours and 8 hours to finish. Those
taking 2 hours indicated that the foster parents had taken some time beforehand preparing

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for the meeting. After saying that they were concerned with all the time taken, workers
then indicated that for most of them the time taken was worthwhile. What was this mixed
message really saying? Workers said that taking the time was not the problem. It was the
need for supervisors and managers to understand the time needed to complete the
assessment with the foster parent and to understand that, with heavy caseload demands,
this put a lot of pressure on workers in addition to what was already expected of them.
Although some workers were given some assistance from the student and some
assessments were distributed more equitably amongst the team of workers, nothing had
been taken away in terms of caseload responsibilities in order to use the LAC materials.
Workers questioned whether supervisors and management understood the practical
casework requirements that came with the philosophical shift of caring for children
beyond keeping them safe. Although the materials were found to be useful, the time it
took placed an added burden for workers who already felt overwhelmed. It was difficult
to feel enthusiastic about an added burden no matter how good the materials may be.
Workers seem to be suggesting that a lack of recognition and understanding about their
current caseload demands was evident when they were being asked to do more work
without other demands being lessened.
The third challenge identified in the pilot projects, and also seen with this team of
social workers, was the importance of training to the development of the project. All
social workers attended the training for the pilot project, as did all of the foster home
support workers including their supervisor. In addition, the social work student was
trained as well as eight of the fourteen foster parents. Training had been offered on two
different days, one a weekday and one a Saturday, to accommodate everyone but still

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some foster parents did not attend. When working with a trained foster parent, who
understood the philosophy behind the practice protocols and their part in completion of
the materials, there was a mutual “awkwardness” with using the new materials
[researcher’s word].
Overall, workers felt that both they and the foster parent understood the learning
process needed and that the study was intended to be a practice and trial run for using the
materials. However, when working with a foster parent who had not received the training
workers described themselves as feeling “silly, like I was nuisance”. Reading the
questions directly from the assessments felt awkward and sometimes intrusive. Workers
explained these feelings as bringing question to their professional credibility, particularly
in the eyes of the foster parents. Workers who were collaborating with a foster parent
who had received the training on the use of the materials also found that the sessions
went quicker than with those foster parents that did not have the background to the
project.
The duplication of information was a concern expressed in this research as it was
in other pilot projects. In this case, workers were advised to expect this duplication and to
provide input into what they felt was being duplicated and what could be replaced if
using the LAC materials. The experiences of this team of social workers did identify that
some of the information was repetitive. This did not present as a big issue for this team at
this time. Workers were pleased with the ease that the assessment material transferred
into the child’s plan of care and both followed the seven developmental dimensions.
The ‘loudest’ and ‘biggest’ point that emerged throughout this study was workers
feelings of dis-empowerment that was displayed throughout their current practice and the

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LAC project gave them an opportunity to express it. Workers described many issues of
concern in using the LAC materials but what appeared to emerge as the underlying issue
was this feeling of exclusion. Their interest in doing the mid-pilot evaluation indicated a
desire to provide input. They were eager to be participants in this research and wanted to
provide information on their experiences. Workers want to make a difference and have
valuable information to contribute. Workers have continually felt that decisions were
been made for them and without their input and it has impacted greatly not only on the
work that they do but in their feelings of credibility, value and roles as social workers.
Foster Parents
As noted previously, foster parents were eager participants in completing the
AARs for the children in their care. All of the nineteen assessments had the participation
of the children’s foster parent and this was not the case with all of the children’s social
workers. Foster parents were not as eager to attend the one day training for participants
with only 8 of the fourteen foster parents attending one of the two sessions that were
offered. One of the comments from a foster parent did identify the responsibility of
parenting to be a barrier to attending training on a weekend. As well, only 6 foster parents
responded to the mailed out survey despite follow up calls. As noted by the one foster
parent the survey was mailed out 6 weeks after the final collection of the completed
AARs. For some foster parents, it may have been several months since they completed an
AAR and the information about their experiences was no longer fresh or clear in their
minds. As well at the time of this mail out survey, the foster care team had also asked
foster parents to respondent to a survey about foster care services from the department.
Although coincidental that the two surveys were sent out at the same time, this oversight

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may have impacted on the response rate to the LAC study. Only 6 foster parents attended
a presentation where the data from the study was shared and their interpretations of the
feedback was solicited. Another noteworthy item was that all fourteen participating foster
parents were foster moms and there were no foster dads who assisted in completing the
AARs, attended training or attended the presentation.
Foster parents described the LAC materials as useful and were particularly
pleased with how the AARs reflected on the job of parenting that they were doing. One
foster parent’s comment that the AAR could not be completed without her input was
particularly significant to this social worker. The truth to her comment came through
clearly when I attempted to get started on one of child’s AAR before meeting with the
foster parent. I did not get very far. Foster parents are an invaluable resource to the child
welfare system and it appears that their knowledge and skills may be under-utilized.
Several foster parents commented that they completed all or most of the AAR on their
own without the child’s social worker. This is not the intent of the LAC philosophy that
is to promote a teamwork approach to parenting children in care. It must be recognized
that foster parents hold a wealth of important information about children in care and that
this information is invaluable for the social worker and for the child’s history. Foster
parents need to be seen as equal and competent members of the corporate parenting team.
Foster parents in Yukon who participated in the study would like to see Looking After
Children continue. Comments from foster parents were:
“[LAC] should continue so children can see these reports when older and are
aware of the care given to them growing up.”(FP)
•

“I would like to see it [LAC] continue with or without extra help.” (FP)

Ill
CHAPTER SEVEN
Practice and Policy Implications and Recommendations
Looking After Children was first introduced to Yukon child welfare staff in
September 2000 when this researcher embarked on what was to become a four year
project to get the word out about this exciting and new international initiative. Informal
use of the AARs, as well as following the national and international progress of LAC,
garnered interest amongst staff and management. Although discussions about LAC had
been occurring at the management and front line levels of service, the real impetus for the
LAC began when the researcher, as a member of the Children’s team, drafted a redesign
of the plan of care format to use with children in permanent care. As a result of this, the
LAC in Yukon initiative began and even before the completion of the study there were
several policy and practice implications that already had impacts on service delivery for
children in care.
Impacts of Looking After Children in Yukon Study Thus Far
Plans o f Care
Social workers are responsible for ensuring that each child in care has a written
plan and this is mandated in policy. For children in permanent care, a plan is developed
yearly and reviewed minimally every 6 months and more often if significant changes
warrant additional reviews. Although a plan of care format existed, the areas to be
covered were vague. Formats for plan of care meetings were as varied as the social
workers that led them. The re-designed plan of care was modeled on the LAC seven
dimensions of child’s development. In addition to the seven dimensions, the goals of each
dimension were included as guidelines for areas to cover within the dimension. Use of

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the draft plan of care amongst the Children’s team proved to be a practical and
informative method for social workers in developing mandated plans of care. The format
of this plan of care provided an agenda for plan of care meetings that outlined all of the
areas to be covered. Social workers found the plans of care to be thorough and practical
in that they identified specific tasks within each dimension that were to be attended to,
asked who was going to attend to them and requested time frames for completing the
tasks. As well, plans could be hand written and signed off right at the plan of care
meeting and copies distributed to all team members. Modifications to the plan of care
format were made as social workers practiced using them. The re-designed plan of care
was soon being used across the branch and during the time of the LAC in Yukon study
was incorporated into policy.
Recommendation # 1:
Although the LAC plan of care is now incorporated into policy, training on their
use did not occur across the branch. It is important that all social workers receive training
on the philosophical basis of the seven dimensions and that includes parenting practices
and resiliency factors. LAC training should also be incorporated into the departments
CORE professional development plan.
The Philosophical Shift in Practice
Understanding the dual mandate of child welfare services and the need to place
emphasis on the well being of children in care provides a foundation for all social work
practice with children in care. Training in the LAC initiative, its theoretieal
underpinnings in developmental, expectancy and resiliency theories outlines the
importance of attending to all seven dimensions of child development. As well.

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understanding how to divide up the complexities of tasks of parenting a child in care
amongst all team members, and working in a collaborative way, is essential to good
social work and foster parent practice. Understanding the roles and responsibilities of
each of the team members and the needs of the child that have to be attended to helps to
clarify how to get things done. For those involved in the LAC study, training provided
this clarification and participants in the study recommended that this training be provided
to all social workers and foster parents working with children care.
Recommendation # 2:
Training occurs throughout the branch on the philosophical underpinnings of the
LAC initiative. This training should be incorporated into the branch CORE training
mandatory for all social work staff. Ideally training would occur jointly with social
workers and foster parents.
Factors Associated with Resiliency
LAC identified in its teaching a number of negative implications of growing up in
care and a number of protective factors that seem to contribute to better outcomes for
children. This information led to an informal tracking of specific factors for children on
the permanent care team. Social workers began documenting the number of placement
moves, the number of school moves and the number of caregivers a child has had. This
information is now documented in the child’s yearly review recording, discussed at the
yearly plan of care and tracked on an individual child basis. In addition, discussions
among team members about the positive implications of keeping a child in the same
school, assisting them to stay in school and tracking children’s involvement in activities
outside of school is occurring. An “activity” sheet was initiated that looked at the

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activities that children in the permanent care team were involved in and, for those
children where no activity was identified, encouraging the child to get involved in one.
One of the highlights of the activity sheet was that many children in permanent care were
involved in a wide variety of activities and a great many of them were very successful.
This information was provided to the Minister of Health and Social Services as a good
news story.
Recommendation # 3:
Continue to track the number of placements, school moves and number of
caregivers for children in care and ensure this information is recorded in child’s yearly
review recording and discussed at each yearly plan of care meeting.
Recommendation # 4:
Ensure that every child in care in involved in at least one extra curricular activity
outside of school.
Future ideas fo r use o f Looking After Children in Yukon
The seven dimensions of the LAC materials has been valuable in providing social
workers with a framework for their practice.
Recommendation # 5:
Re-design the needs assessment for children in care to reflect the seven
dimensions of LAC or consider using the AARs instead of the needs assessments and
determine the corresponding foster care rates based on the outcome of the AARs.
Recommendation # 6:
Re-design the yearly review recording for children in care to include the seven
dimensions of LAC and incorporate this into policy. During the LAC in Yukon study.

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this social worker, with permission from the Assistant Director, informally re-designed
plans of care using the LAC dimensions for children on my caseload. It is only a matter
of reformatting the headings. Information from the yearly plan of care meeting, which
already follows the LAC plan of care format with the seven dimensions, allows for easy
inputting of information into the review recording.
The Children In Care and the Assessment and Action Records
Recommendations below are being made based on the aggregated information
obtained for the AARs with the children in care in this study
The Health Dimension
Recommendation # 7:
Recognize that children often come into care with poorer health than typical
children. Poor health requires vigilant monitoring, assessing and accessing of health care
services.
Recommendation # 8:
Health care needs to be documented on the child’s file to be accessible to all.
Updated information needs to be included in all yearly review recordings.
Recommendation # 9:
All efforts need to be made to ensure that a child in care has a consistent doctor
and preferably the same doctor that works with the child’s family. In Yukon, the small
population can accommodate this.
Recommendation # 10:
Yearly medical be completed on all children in care as per departmental policy.

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Recommendation #11:
Yearly medicals need to include height, weight and percentiles information, as
well as vision, hearing and dental screenings. This information should also be sought
through a thorough medical when a child first comes into care.
Recommendation # 12:
Immunizations continue to be given high priority and documented on the child’s
yearly review recording.
Recommendation # 13:
Encourage social worker, foster parents and health care providers to talk to the
children about any ongoing health conditions.
Recommendation # 14:
The area of household safety requires further scrutiny and attention. Initially the
findings of this study should be discussed with social workers and foster parents and
supervisors to provide information on the prevention of injuries for children in care. Also
provide statistical information on the prevalence of childhood injuries and accidents and
their prevention.
The Education Dimension
Recommendation # 15:
The prevalence of developmental delays in all of the children in the 3-4 year old
age grouping is concerning as is the rate of learning difficulties for children aged 5-9 in
this study. This aggregated information should be of concern to not only Family and
Children’s Services but also to the Department of Education. This information needs to
be shared and programs planned accordingly.

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Recommendation # 16:
Assessment of all children in care who display suspected symptoms of FASD
must occur. Such a diagnosis helps to provide explanation for not only developmental
delays but also for behaviors. Appropriate programming can be developed when the
needs of the children are understood.
Recommendation # 17:
The number of school changes that some children in this study have experienced
is extremely concerning. Vigilant monitoring as well as exploring creative alternatives to
school changes needs to occur on an individual child basis. Yukon is a small enough
community to support a child’s school placement. Regular consultations with social
workers of children in care, foster parents and school officials to better deal with this
negative implication of child welfare service needs to occur.
Recommendation # 18:
Social workers need to involve themselves in discussions with the child’s teacher.
Inclusion of the child’s birth family in these discussions, as appropriate, is also
recommended.
Recommendation # 19:
Track involvement of children in extra curricular activities and make involvement
in extra curricular activities an expectation for every child in care.
The Identity Dimension
Recommendation # 20:
Children in care need to understand why they are in care and this information
needs to be reviewed regularly. Social workers and foster parents need to provide this

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information to the children. Involvement of birth family in these discussions and
responsibility is recommended as appropriate.
Recommendation #21:
Continue preparing and using Lifebooks for children. Supervisors need to
understand the importance of this activity and the time commitments for both the foster
parent and the social worker.
Recommendation # 22:
Children in care need to know who their birth family is and their birth family
history. Greater emphasis needs to be put into activities (such as Lifebooks and
genograms) and simple discussions that provide that information for the child.
The Family and Social Relationships Dimension
Recommendation # 23:
The issue of continuity of care for children in this study is very concerning.
Missing information needs to be obtained and recorded on the child’s yearly review
recording. Tracking the number of caregivers for each child and aggregating the
information is crucial to understanding its importance and implications for children in
care.
Recommendation # 24:
Children need to have a relationship with at least one person who is crazy about
them. Social workers and foster parents need to recognize that connecting children in care
to lifelong relationships is crucial to meetings the basic needs of a child in care. A
primary responsibility of those who care for children is to ensure this occurs prior to a
child leaving care.

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Recommendation # 25:
Children in care need help in maintaining relationships with members of their
birth family, and with previous caregivers. The importance of these relationships needs to
be recognized and their continued contact supported.
The Social Presentation Dimension
Recommendation # 26:
Recognition by social workers and foster parents of the importance of a child’s
appearance and a child’s behaviors in social settings. Social workers and foster parents
need to help children learn appropriate behaviors in various social situations.
The Emotional and Behavioral Development Dimension
Recommendation # 27:
Many children in this study were assessed with difficulties associated with
concentration, impulsiveness and problems settling to tasks. Follow up should occur on
recommendations for children to be assessed for FASD.
The Self-care Skills Dimension
Recommendation # 28:
Children in care need to develop skills that will lead them towards independence.
Ongoing assessment of their development and progress using the LAC AARs is
recommended.
The Experiences of the participants
The Social Workers
Recommendation # 29:
Recognition of the time required practicing good parenting. This includes ongoing

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implementation of the Looking After Children philosophy and materials.
The Foster Parents
Recommendation # 30:
Recognition of the foster parents knowledge about the day to day care needs of
the child and the importance of foster parents as equal team members.
Summary
Looking After Children in Yukon began as a workplace based study intended to
work towards improving the developmental outcomes for children raised in government
care. As a social worker working with children in care for over twenty years, LAC in
Yukon presented an innovative yet practical approach to the complex task of corporate
parenting. Children in care have the same developmental needs as other children in the
community. But they also have many complexities including multiple caregivers,
placement and school moves and additional needs resulting from experiencing abuse and
neglect. Trying to provide a model of parenting that mimics the ‘good parenting”
expected of parents in the community is an enormous task for a bureaucratic
organization. Sorting out what parenting needs to be done for the children, and who is
going to do it is a difficult task for most two-parent families. Those difficulties become
exponential when governments, with many social workers, foster parents, birth families
and other caregivers are all involved in the parenting decisions for a child raised in
government care. Using the seven dimensions of the LAC AARs, a comprehensive
assessment and then action plan was developed for a child, similar to what most parents
do regularly with their own child. The information obtained from the nineteen
assessments completed provided a wealth of information of the developmental progress

121

of this group of children. Specifically, we know that the children in Yukon in this study
came into care with poor health and pre-existing health conditions. We know now that
caring for these children will place greater demands on the foster parents with whom they
are placed. We also know that 12 of the eldest children in the study have developmental
delays and /or learning difficulties. This is extremely important information for the
Yukon Department of Education to be aware of so that appropriate planning can occur to
anticipate and prepare for the educational needs of these children. Each of the dimensions
assessed revealed new information for individual children and, when the information is
aggregated, it provided insights into how practice and policy could be implemented to
assist in better meeting the needs of this group of children growing up in permanent care.
The potential for program and policy changes, as indicated in the thirty recommendations
made, is great and the information is there for the taking. Social workers and foster
parents reported a desire to continue with the program and its positive impacts on the
lives of children in care.
LAC in Yukon was designed with the potential to become a longitudinal study. A
follow up study on this same group of children, now from 0 to age 12, and include other
children now in permanent care in Whitehorse could be useful in providing information
on how these children are progressing. Although the sample group would not be exactly
the same, aggregated data on how the children are faring within each dimension could be
useful in assessing whether any changes have occurred. By using the newer version of
the AAR’s which provides a direct comparison to the National Longitudinal Survey of
Children and Youth, information obtained in this follow up study on Yukon children in
care could be compared to other children growing up in Canada. This information could

122

provide Family and Children’s’ Services with some evidence of the impact of the
corporate parenting they are providing to Yukon children in care.
Should a follow up study be proposed I would recommend a number of changes
be made to the design and implementation of the research study. Firstly, recognition of
the time required of the social workers in completing the AARs with children in care,
setting up appointments with the foster parents involved and attending a training session.
By raising the age to 12 years old, the children being assessed need to be included in
completing the assessments. As the questions in the AAR’s are designed to promote
discussion, including the child in the assessment will require more time to complete the
records. Social workers need to be provided with relief from some of their casework
responsibilities to enable them to participate in the training and assessments.
Secondly foster parents need to be recognized as equal participants in the study
and in the completion of the assessments. In this study some foster parents indicated that
they had completed assessments on their own. The intent of the LAC philosophy is to
work collaboratively and it is the team work approach required to complete the AAR’s
that promotes discussion and the sharing of the responsibility in caring for children in
care. Participants need to understand this and ensure that they complete the records
together.
And finally, LAC in Yukon study was just the beginning. Yukon Family and
Children’s Services needs to embrace the LAC materials and philosophy for the sake of
the children growing up in government care.

123

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Appendix A
Looking After Children Assessment and Action record: Version 1
Health section for age group 5-9 years

Reference number;

LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN
Assessment and Action Record
Age Five to Nine Years

Child's name:_________________________________
Gender.

_______________________________

Date of b i r t h : ___________________
Day
Month Year
Current placement (eg. foster parents, residential unit)

This assessment was coordinated by:
Name: ______________________________________
Position:
Agency:
Approved by:
Supervisor:
Date: _____

Date begun:
Day

Month

Year

Date c o m p le te d :_____________________
Day
Month Year

How to get the best from the Assessment and Action Records
Note to social workers, foster parents and other profesionals; The Assessment and Action Records are designed to
help you assess children’s progress, monitor the quality of the care they are receiving and make plans for improvements
across seven developmental dimensions. Each dimension is identified throughout the series by its own symbol;
HEALTH
EDUCATION
IDENTITY
FAMILY

AND

SOCIAL

PRESENTATION

EMOTIONAL

SOCIAL

AND

RELATIONSHIPS

BEHAVIOURAL

DEVELOPMENT

SELF-CARESKILLS
Except where otherwise indicated, all the questions are relevant for all children.
Do:
Think about who is the best person to complete the Record with the child or young person. This should be
someone s/he knows well and trusts. Older children may like to choose whom they want to do it with.
Try to have conversations about the topics raised by the Record rather than question and answer sessions. Feel
free to use a form of speaking which is familiar and comfortable for you and the person you are working with.
Plan ahead and read through each section before you complete it with the child: some of the questions ask about
sensitive issues which you may need to think about in advance.
Talk to significant others.
Fill in the Assessment of Objectives at the end of each section. These are intended to provide a means of
comparing how a child has changed from one assessment to another.
Make plans for future work and write down details on the summary sheet as you go along.
Aim to make the sessions enjoyable for all concerned.
Use you own judgement and discuss issues more fully when you find the Sections do not include details which are
important.
Dont:
•

Try to complete it all in one sitting.

.

Panic if there are gaps. Be prepared to find out the information or plan action for the future
Say to the child that you are doing "it" because "they" have told you it has to be done.

•

Try to complete the Record without involving the child.

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record: Age Five to Nine Years 3

HEALTH
NB Factual information
should be written on the
Essential Information
Record or the front of the
file or health report.

The questions in this section are designed to make sure that all preventive health
measures are being taken, that all health issues, problems or disabilities are being
monitored and treated, that the child is reasonably protected against common accidents
and that, as far as possible, s/he is well.
Please give details if the child has a health condition or disability:

HI
Child welfare agencies
should arrange regular
medical examinations for
all children and young
people in their care. The
purpose of the
examination is to pick up
health problems that can
be treated and often cured
while the child is in care.
Efforts should be made to
combine statutory
medicals with regular
medical examinations
undertaken as part of the
preventive health servicefor all children. Whenever
possible, arrangements
should be made for
children to attend the
same clinic/doctor on each
occasion.

When did the child last have a
statutory medical or check-up?

Less than a year ago

A year ago or more

Never had one

Don't know

by whom: _________________________________
date:

What recommendations were made?

Have all recommendations been
carried out?

. No medical

. No recommendations

.Ail

Some

None

Who will take further action if needed?

Don't know

No further action needed because:

.Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
_ _ Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): ____________________________

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record; Age Five to Nine Years

H2
A significant proportion of
children will have some
hearing difficulty. Hearing
losses may be temporary
orpenvanent Temporary
hearing losses are usually
caused by conditions like
‘glue ear" and occur in the
eariy years. Suchheanng
losses fluctuate and may
be mild or moderate in
degree, but they can
cause major problems for
children at school.
Permanent hearing losses
vary from mild through to
severe and profound.
Children with severe
hearing loss may have
major communication
difficulties. If there is any
concern about a child's
ability to hear, or if there
are physical signs such as
persistently discharging
ears, it is important to get
medical advice. Early
recognition, diagnosis and
treatment with specialist
support if required, are
essential for children's
future development.
The doctor will need to
know about any problems
or treatment s/he is
having. The social woker
should check that details
have been noted on the
Essential Information
Record.

Are there any concerns about the
child's hearing?

Yes

No

Don’t know

Has s/he been prescribed a hearing
aid?

Yes

No

Don't know

Does s/he use it?

. Not applicable: no hearing aid
_ Always

Don’t know

Sometimes(pleasesay why)

. Never (please say why)

When did s/he last have a hearing
test?

_ Less than 6 months ago

__ 6 months ago or more

_ Never had one

__ Don’t know

Who will take further action if needed?

No further action needed because:

_Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action wiil be taken by:
Parent(s)
• Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Pubiic heaith nurse

Other (please specify): ___________________________

4

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record; Age Five to Nine Years

H3
If the child has communication difHcutties please complete this question; otherwise, go to H4 ^

The doctor will need to
know about any problems
or treatment s/he is
having. The social worker
should check that details
have been noted on the
Essential Information
Record.
Sign language is used by
people with severe hearing
impairments and is
recognized as a language
in its own right. Bliss
symbolics is a visual form
of communication. It
consists of a board with
pictures to represent
certain verbs and nouns
for the child or young
person to point to
manually or with an aid.
This facilitates
communication for children
and young people with
severe disabilities or
health conditions.

Which method of communication
does the child prefer to use?

Speech
American Sign Language (ASL)
English Sign Language (Nova Scotia)
Bliss symbolics
Other (please specify) ___________

What help is s/he getting (eg. speech
therapy) to develop communication
and language skills?
Does difficulty in communicating
make the child feel frustrated?

Often

Sometimes

Never

How does s/he show this to others?

Who will take further action if
needed?

No further action needed because:

.Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because;

Further action wilt be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): _____________________________

5

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record: Age Five to Nine Years

H4
If the child has dlfHculty
reading what is written on
the blackboard at school
or if s/he get headaches
while watching télévision,
it is a good idea to get
his/her eyes tested even if
s/he have neverneeded
glasses. If the child does
wear glasses, his/her
eyes should be tested by
an eye specialist every six
months.
The doctor will need to
know about any problems
or treatment s/he is
having. The social woker
should check that details
have been noted on the
Essential Information
Record.

Are there any concerns about the
child's sight?
Does the child need glasses?
Does s/he wear them?

Yes

No

Yes

No

Don't Know
Don't know

. Not applicable; no glasses

. Always

. Sometimes (please say why)

. Never (please say why)

_ Don't know

When did the child last have an eye
examination?

. Less than 6 months ago

Who will take further action if needed?

No further action needed because:

. 6 months ago or more

Never had one

Don’t know

Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): _____________________________

6

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record; Age Five to Nine Years

H5
What is the child's height?
When was s/he last measured?

metres or

feet/inches

Less than 6 months ago

Don't know

6 months ago or more

Don't know

What Is the child’s weight?

_______ kilograms o r ____ pounds(lbs.)

When was the child last weighed ?

. Less than 6 months ago

___ Don't know

6 months ago or more

Don't know

Is the child's height or weight a cause
for concern?

. No concerns
Some concerns

If so, who is monitoring it?

_Foster parent(s)

I f no concerns, go to H6
Serious concerns
Family physician

Don't know
Paediatrician

. Other (please specify:) ______________________________

Who will take further action If needed?

— No further action needed because:

_Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): _____________________________

7

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record; Age Five to Nine Years 8

H6
Theœ are provincial
variations in the timing of
the various immunizations
required. If you have any
questions about
requirements in your
province, please contact
your local public health
office.
The social worker should
check that all
immunizations have been
noted on the Essential
Information Record. If
there is no record of what
the child has had, it may
be necessary for the
doctor to check through
health records so that the
information can be
recorded by the child
welfare agency. This is
important because if the
child has a change of
doctors, it can take a while
for health records to catch
up and the infonnation
may be urgently needed.

Are all routine immunizations up-todate?
If you don't know, who will check
immunization records?

Yes

No

. Parent(s)
. Residential worker

Don't know

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

_Other (please specify): ___________________ _

Who will take further action if needed?

No further action needed because:

.Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): _____________________________

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record: Age Five to Nine Years

H7
__ 6 months ago or more

Less than 6 months ago

When did the child last visit a dentist?

Never seen one__________ __ Don't know
name; _________

_____________

date:

What treatment did s/he recommend?

Dentist not seen

No treatment, just a check-up

Fining(s)

Treatmenttostraighten teeth

Teeth removed because (eg. decayed, not enough room)
(please specify)

Other (eg. Fluoride treatment) (please specify)

Has all treatment been carried out?

. Not applicable: dentist not seen
. Not applicable: no treatment recommended
. All

Who wili take further action if needed?

Some

None

Don't know

No further action needed because:

.Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by;
Parent(s)

Foster parent(s)

Residential vrorker

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): _____________________________

H8
The doctor will need to
know about any problems
or treatment the child is
having. The social woker
should check that details
have been noted on the
child's Essential
Information Record.

Has the child been diagnosed as
having any ongoing health conditions
(eg. diabetes, asthma, allergies or
epilepsy)?
If so, are these being monitored or
treated by health professionals?
Does the child have any physical
conditions (eg. squint, hare lip,
cerebral palsy)?

If so, are these being treated?

. Yes

_Currently being assessed

No

Don’t know

No health conditions
. Yes

No

Yes

No

Don't know

. Currently being assessed

Don't know
. No physical conditions

Yes

No

Don't know

9

Assessment and Action Record: Age Five to Nine Years

Looking After Children

Please answer this question if the child has an ongoing health condition or disability; otherwise go to H9
Childmn need to be given
infonnation and
opportunities to talk about
any health condition or
disability they may have.
Parent!s) and foster
parent(s) may also need
advice and/or support.
Literature and information
about support groups can
be obtained from
organizations which exist
to promote the
understanding of specific
conditions (eg. l^nadian
Diabetic Association).
Various organizations also
exist which give children
with medical conditions
opportunities to take part
in activities together. For
example there are
swimming lessons for
children with disabilities.
The doctor will need to
know about any problems
or treatment s/he is
having. The social worker
should check that details
have been noted on the '
Essential Information
Record.

Has information been given to and
discussed with:
the child?

Yes

No

Don't know

the foster parent(s)?

Yes

No

Don't know

Have there been any changes in the
child's condition over the last six
months?

those noted by health professionals:

those noted by the child or foster parent(s):

Please describe any changes in the
child's treatment over the last six
months and say how these have
affected him/her:

Is the child being seen by a
specialist?
Who will take further action if
needed?

Yes

No

Don't know

No further action needed because:

_Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public heaith nurse

Other (please specify):_____________________________

10

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record: Age Five to Nine Years

H9
If at all possible, it is
important that a parent or
familiar adult stay with the
child throughout a hospital
admission. This greatly
reduces the potential
negative effects of a
hospital stay for a child, as
well as assisting his/her
recovery. The doctor will
need to know about any
problems or treatment the
child is having. The social
worker should check that
significant illnesses,
injuries, accidents,
hospital stays and
operations have been
noted on the child's
Essential Information
Record.

Has the child had any illnesses,
injuries or accidents in the last year?

If yes, please give brief details and
say who was consulted or how these
were dealt with:

Who will take further action if
needed?

_ No

If no, go to H10

Yes

Don't know

Illness

Treated bv

eg. Flu

Foster parents

Ear infection

Family physician

Cut knee

Hospital casualty

No further action needed because:

_Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): _____________________________

11

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record; Age Five to Nine Years

H10
It is important that children
in care have a diet that
relates to their ethnic
background and culture so
that they continue to be
familiar with the customs
and daily practices of their
birth family.

Does the child have any special
dietary needs for health, food
allergies, religious or cultural reasons
(eg. high fibre, prescribed diet, food
cut up or pureed, kosher,
vegetarian)?

Yes

No

Don't know

l fn o, go to H1 1 $

If yes, please say what these are:

Please say if there are difficulties in
keeping to this diet (eg. too
expensive, not provided by foster
parent(s), the child does not like it or
has difficulties eating):

If s/he is on this diet for health
reasons, what is its effect (eg. desired
effect, irregular bowel movements,
hyper-activity)?

Who will take further action if
needed?

No further action needed because:

_Fufther action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): _____________________________

12

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record: Age Five to Nine Years

H11

A small number of children
are allergic to nuts, eggs
or shellfish and must
never be given food
containing them. '

How often has the child had the following to

Everyday

Most days

. Yes

No

eat or drink in the last week?

On one or
two days

Not at aii

Don't know

Fruits (inciuding fresh fruit juices)
Vegetables and salads
Milk/yogurt

Carbohydrates
Rice
Pasta <e,g. spaghetti, macaroni)
Breads (including pita bread, wholewheat
bread)
Potatoes (including fries)
Cereal and grains (eg. oats, breakfast cereal,
bulgur wheat, couscous)

Proteins
Meat
Fish
Eggs
C heese
Legumes (eg. baked beans, lentils)

Nuts
Snack foods and drinks
Chips
Cookies/Cake
Candy
Pop, fizzy drinks

Does the foster parent think this Is a
healthy diet for a child of this age?
Who will take further action if
needed?

Doubtful

Don't know
No further action needed because:

_Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): _____________________________

13

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record: Agç Five to Nine Years

H12
How often does the child go for
walks or play outside?

_ Daily

Severaltimes a \veek

_ About once a week

Less than once a week

_ Don't know

Who will take further action if
needed?

No further action needed because:

Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)

Foster parent(s)

Residential worker

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): ______________________________

The social worker should
check that the name and
phone numtser of any
adviser and details of
specialized equipment have
been noted on the child's
Essential Information
Reœrd.

If the Child has a medical condition
(eg. arthritis or asthma) that affects
his/her ability to exercise, is anyone
giving advice about this?

Not applicable: no medical condition/ability to exercise not
affected

If not applicable, go to H13 #
_ Physiotherapist

Occupational therapist

_Leisure centre staff

No-one

Dont know

_ Other (please specify)_

Does the child need special help or
equipment for exercise?
Who will take further action if
needed?

Yes

No

Don’t know

No further action needed because:

.Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): ______________________________

14

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record; Age Five to Nine Years

H13
Do the foster parent(s) have all
the following :
safety covers for electrical sockets?

Yes. and always use them

Yes, and rarely use them

No

smoke alarm?

Yes, and always use it

Yes and rarely use it

No

Who will take further action if
needed?

No further action needed because:

Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): _____________________________

15

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record: Age Five to Nine Years

H14
Have the child's foster parent(s)
taken the steps to ensure that:
fireplaces are adequately protected
by guards?

. Not necessary, no fireplace

all medicines, cleaning fluids and
poisonous substances are locked
in a cupboard with the key
removed?

Yes

No

the child learns and uses the rules
of traffic?

Yes

No

the child has a car seat and/or
wears a seat belt when travelling
by car?

Yes

No

the child is aware of self-protection
measures (eg. not accepting
candy from strangers)?

Yes

No

Yes

No

No further action needed because:

Who will take further action if
needed?
Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because;

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)

Foster parent(s)

Residential worker

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify): _____________________________

HIS
A 'responsible person' is an
adult who would be
regarded as trustworthy and
capable of taking adequate
care of a child of this age.

Is the child under the supervision
of a responsible person at all
times?
Who will take further action if
needed?

Yes

No

Don't know

No further action needed because:

Further action needed but not possible or appropriate at
present because:

Further action will be taken by:
Parent(s)
Residential worker

Foster parent(s)

Social worker

Public health nurse

Other (please specify). _____________________________

Please record details about plans for further action and target dates in the summary at the back of this
Record.

16

Looking After Children

Assessment and Action Record; Age Five to Nine Years

The remaining space
has been left blank for
notes and
observations.

ASSESSMENT OF OBJECTIVES; H E A L T H
The following section should be filled in by the social worker in consultation with all those people
responsible for the child's care. There is a space at the end to record disagreements. After this has been
done, look at the previous Assessment and Action Record to see how the child has changed. Please read
the notes in the margin before you tick any boxes. How far have the following objectives been met?
1 Unwell for 1 week or
less in the last 6 months;
2 Unwell between 8 and
14 days in the last 6
months;
3 Unwell between 15 and
28 days in the last 6
months;
4 Unwell for more than 28
days in the last 6 months.
"Unwell" means ill enough
to be in bed or take some
time off school.

Objective 1: The child is normally
well:

1 Satisfactory growth and
development;
2 Senous concerns about
the rate of growth and/or
development

Objective 2; The child is thriving:

. Normally well ’

_ Sometimes ill '

. Often III '

. Frequently III*

I don't know

.Thriving'

. Some concerns about the rate of growth
and/or development

. Failing to thrive '

Objective 3: All preventive health
measures, including appropriate
immunizations, are being taken:

All

Most

Don't know

Few

None

Don't know

_ No health condition or d isability

Objective 4: All ongoing health
conditions and disabilities are being
dealt with:

_ All being adequately dealt with
_ Some being adequately dealt with
_ None being adequately dealt with
Don't know

1 Foster parent(s) are
aware of common hazards
and take adequate
precautions;
2 Foster parent(s) take
some precautions against
hazards but safety could
be improved;
3 The child is at serious
risk of accidental injury.

Objective 5: The child is reasonably
protected against common accidents:

Safe environment '

Some protection '

Inadequate protection '

Don't know

17

Assessment and Action Record; Age Five to Nine Years

Looking After Children

Views on the assessment o f health objectives 1’5
Aareefsl fully
Child

Aqree(s) partially

Disaaree(s)

Not consulted

_____

_____

_____

_____

Parent(s)_________________

_____

_____

_____

Foster parent(s)

_____

_____

_____

_____

Residential worker

_____

_____

_____

_____

Social worker

_____

_____

_____

_____

Public health nurse

_____

_____

_____

_____

Other (specify)

_____

_____

_____

_____

If you do not agree, please give further details. Say who disagrees and why:

Section c o m p le te d :__________________
Day
Month Year

18

Appendix B
Organizational structure of Family and Children’s Services
October 2001

Appendix B: Family and Children’s Services organizational Chart

H-

.1

Appendix C
Data sharing agreement between the Director of Family and
Children’s services and Researcher

Health and Social Services and Brenda Dion
Agreement for
Disclosure of Information for Research to Meet Requirements for MSc degree.
BETWEEN
Brenda Dion
AND
Anne Westcott, Director, Family and Children’s Services
WHERAS Brenda Dion is an employee o f the Family and Children’s Services Branch and is engaged in
research for her Master’s degree on Branch services in the area o f Looking After Children, and the Director
is in agreement with research on the implementation o f Looking After Children in Yukon,
This agreement will allow for the disclosure o f information for research purposes.
THE PARTIES AGREE AS FOLLOWS:

1.

DEFINITIONS

Child welfare: The statutory services provided to children and families intended to protect children from
harm or neglect. This includes a variety o f intervention and supports services ranging from prevention to
placement o f children in safe environments such as foster care.
Child in permanent care: children who are ordered to the permanent legal care and custody o f the Director
o f Family and Children’s Services in Yukon, who acts as their legal guardian or children who are ordered
to the permanent care and custody o f another provincial or territorial child welfare designate and are
residing in Yukon and are under the supervision o f the Director o f Family and Children’s Services.
Looking After Children: An innovative approach to providing care for children who are looked after by
governments; first developed in England and is now an International initiative. The Canadian project is
called CanLac.
Looking After Children in Yukon: The name o f the pilot project using the Looking After Children
materials with Yukon children in care.
Assessment and Action Records: the assessment materials developed by the Looking After Children
National project (CanLac), to assess and monitor the developmental progress o f children in care across
seven dimensions; health, education, identity, social presentation, family and social relationships,
emotional and behavioral development and self-care skills.

2.

PURPOSE OF THE DATA SHARING

The purpose o f this data sharing activity is to allow for research by Brenda Dion to meet the requirements
o f her Master’s degree and to further the implementation o f Looking After Children in Yukon..
3.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TO BE SHARED WITHIN THE DATA BASE

The Family and Children’s Services Branch will allow access to the following information;

(a) Information regarding past and present services and programs offered by Family and Children’s
Services.
(b) Information about children in care provided indirectly through file information, social workers, foster
parents..
(c) Statistical Information generated by Family and Children’s Services; including number o f children in
care, dates o f birth, placement information, and genders; adoption statistics.
(d) Information collected through the use o f the Looking After Children Assessment and Action Records
and the subsequent data base (non-identifying information), that is generated.
(e) Permission to use information generated through the Looking After Children project; specifically
information from the questionnaire sent to foster parent participants.
(f) Permission to use the report to the Director prepared by Brenda Dion in November 2002 summarizing
Phase one o f the Looking After Children in Yukon pilot project.
(g) Agreement by Brenda Dion to share her thesis report with the Director o f Family and Children’s
Services.

4.

USE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Brenda Dion will use only non-identifvine data for the following purposes:
Provision o f summary statistics
Research
Reports resulting from research
Presentations resulting from research
Completion o f a Master’s Thesis on the Looking After Children in Yukon project
Brenda Dion will not use confidential information provided under this Agreement for any purpose other
than that set out in the Agreement and as outlined in Access to Information and Protection o f Privacy Act.

5. NOTICE REQUIREMENT
This consent will be submitted whenever there is a formal request for information for research purposes.

6. METHOD OF SHARING DATA
Information required for research under this agreement may include the following;
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Review o f files held by the Director o f Family and Children’s Services and use o f non-identifying
information from those files.
Statistics generated with information available to the Director of Family and Children’s Services.
Information regarding programs and services provided by the Director o f Family and Children’s
Services.
Information about those involved with services currently and in the past, in order to track trends and
changes and evaluation services and programs.
Information about program suitability, efficiency.
Preparation o f a Phase one summary presentation for participants and to gather input from the
participants on interpretations of the data.

7. ACCURACY AND SECURITY OF THE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
•

Ensure control is maintained over physical access to the data

•

Copies o f printed information will be kept in secure areas.

•

N o identifying information will leave the Family and Children’s Services premises.

8.

DURATION OF DATA SHARING AND RETENTION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

This Agreement shall commence on November 20,2001 and will terminate on June 30,2005.

9.

TERMINATION OF THE DATA SHARING ACTIVITY

In the event o f the termination o f this Agreement, confidential information obtained by Brenda Dion under
this Agreement shall be returned to the Family and Children’s Services Branch.

10. AMENDING PROCEDURES
This Agreement may be amended by the written agreement o f the parties herein.

11. CHANGES THAT AFFECT THE AGREEMENT
The parties undertake to give one another written notice o f any changes in legislation, regulations or
policies respecting those parties and programs that are likely to affect this Agreement.
Signed on behalf o f the Family and Children’s Services Branch.

, _
Anne Westcott
Director,
Family and Children’s Services

,

C-C-<^CC C ^ -,

^ Date

/o /

S

J

8, ^oos
Brenda Dion
Social Worker,
Family and Children’s Services

Appendix D
Social worker survey/focus group questions
Evaluation of Looking After Children experience.
Generally how was the experience of using the Looking After Children materials for you?

Very positive

□

Somewhat positive

□

Mixed reactions

□

Somewhat negative

□

Very negative

□

Other comments?

□

How many sessions did it take to complete the records?

About how many hours did it take overall?

In your opinion, was this investment of time worthwhile?

Did you learn anything new?

If so, can you say what some of these things were?

How many people were consulted in order to complete the records, and who were they?

FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS

What were the most helpful aspects of using the materials? the strengths/positives

What were the least helpful?

the weaknesses/difficulties

What would be your suggestions for change?

Thank you for your help

Appendix E

Foster parent survey
Evaluation of Looking After Children experience.
Generally how was the experience of using the Looking After Children materials for you?

Very positive

□

Somewhat positive

□

Mixed reactions

□

Somewhat negative

□

Very negative

□

Other comments?

□

How many sessions were you involved in?

About how many hours of your time did it take overall?

In your opinion, was this investment of time worthwhile?

Did you learn anything new?

If so, can you say what some of these things were?

How many people were consulted in order to complete the records, and who were they?

What effect, if any, did going through the Looking After Children materials have on your
relationship with the following people? (Please place a tick in the box that applies)

Î
tive
You

positive

:

I JD

iiegp t

son

rorker

Heaith care
worker

What was the most helpful aspect of using the materials?
(You may identify more than one thing if you wish)

What was the least helpful?
(You may identify more than one thing if you wish)

Do you have any suggestions for change?

Are there any additions you would like to see?

Is there anything that you think should be deleted?

Please use the back of the page if there is anything else that you would like to tell us.

Thank you for your help!

Appendix F
PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET

HHSC 703-3 RESEARCH PROJECT

This is a qualitative research study into The Experiences of Social Workers in the use of
the Looking After Children materials in Yukon.
Brenda Dion, a graduate student in the joint Yukon College/UNBC master’s program, is
carrying it out.
This research project will assist the student in practicing a qualitative research method,
and gather information relevant to the research topic. The research will gather
information on your experiences in using the ‘Looking After Children” materials through
your responses on a questionnaire and participation in a focus group.
Your participation in the focus group will be tape recorded and transcribed. You will
have the opportunity to review a copy of the transcript.
Your rights as a research participant:
You may change your mind about participating at any time, you can refuse to answer
individual questions, and it is your choice. Your decision not answer specific questions or
to withdraw entirely will not affect your services or standing in any way.
Your answers are important to understanding this issue. Information obtained through the
focus group will be used for the research but not in a way that will reveal who said what,
without that individuals’ written permission. Other people will read what is used from the
focus group but no one else (other than the focus group participants) will read the actual
transcript from the focus group. The transcript from the focus group will be kept in a
locked cabinet for the duration of the research project (minimum five years).
This research will help provide information specific to social workers experiences in
using the ‘Looking After Children” materials. The information obtained will be used as
part of the evaluation of the “Looking After Children” in Yukon pilot project
It also will help us make arguments for those improvements at the national level. If you
would like feedback from the results of this research or a copy of the final report I write,
please let me know.
If you have any questions, or think of other information you would like me to have,
please call me at
If something happens that you don’t like and you think something should be done please
feel free to call Dr. Theresa Healy at UNBC, at
. She will be happy to
respond to your ideas.

Appendix G
LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN IN YUKON
Interview
CONSENT FORM
Interview #:
1.

I understand that Brenda Dion is conducting a study for “HHSC 703-3 Qualitative
Research Methodology”; a UNBC/Yukon College Graduate Seminar Course delivered at
the Yukon College, and is interviewing a number of persons with respect to their
experiences with using the “Looking After Children” materials.

2.

This consent is given on the understanding that Brenda Dion, the Yukon College and the
University of Northern British Columbia shall use their best efforts to ensure that my
identity is not revealed, whether directly or indirectly, unless I have signed paragraph 5.

3.

I understand and agree that the information I have given to Brenda Dion in our
interview(s) or focus group of Tuesday November 13, 2001 may be:

4.

(a)

Recorded and reproduced;

(b)

Used by Brenda Dion in the production of a research paper;

(c)

May be stored as part of the archives of U.N.B.C. or the Yukon College and made
available to researchers for study, reproduction and recording.

(d)

Used in a published work by Brenda Dion, the Yukon College or U.N.B.C.

I hereby waive any claim against Brenda Dion, the Yukon College, U.N.B.C.; their
employees, directors, officers, agents and publishers with respect to the use of said
information, provided it is used in accordance with this agreement. I do this freely and
with full knowledge of the legal consequences of this consent.

Nam e:__________________________ D ate:___________________________________
Signed:_________________________ Witness:
5.

I hereby give my further consent to the use of my name, and/or details about my life,
which may directly or indirectly reveal my identity.

D ate:______________________________
Signed:________________________ Witness:
(Copy to records, copy to interviewee)

Appendix H
March 1, 2002

D ear_________________

RE: LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN IN YUKON PILOT PROJECT
Thank you so much for your involvement in the Looking After Children Pilot project. The
completed Assessment and Action records are now being prepared for data collection and
analysis. It is hoped that by taking a close look at the information obtained through the records
we will have a better understanding of how our children in care are doing.
As part of the pilot, it is important to hear from participants about their experiences in using the
Looking After Children materials. Your candid feedback will help to guide the future of how
Yukon wants to proceed with this material. Enclosed is a short questionnaire that I hope you will
complete and return to me before March 30. 2002. in the self-addressed envelope. You may sign
your completed questionnaire if you like, otherwise your responses will be completely
confidential.
If you have any questions about the questionnaire or the Looking After Children project please
contact me at
or via email at

Thank you

Brenda Dion

Appendix I
PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET
Looking A fter Children in Yukon Research/Pilot p ro ject

This is a quantitative/qualitative joint research and pilot project study of the developmental
progress of children in permanent care and custody of the Director of Family and Children’s
Services using the Looking After Children materials.
Brenda Dion, a graduate student in the joint Yukon College/UNBC master’s program, is carrying
it out.
This portion of the research project will assist Brenda Dion in gathering further information on
the interpretation of the quantitative /qualitative data you assisted in providing.
Your verbal participation in the group presentation will be recorded in writing and your written
feedback will be requested in the accompanying feedback worksheets.
Your rights as a research participant.
You may change your mind about participating at any time, you can refuse to answer individual
questions, and it is your choice. Your decision not answer specific questions or to withdraw
entirely will not affect your standing in any way.
Your answers are important to understanding this issue. Your information will be used but not in
a way that will reveal who you are. Other people will read what is used of your words but you
will not be identified. This research is being gathered with the intention of improving the
services and resources for children in care. It is hoped that the information from the pilot project
will help us make arguments for those improvements at the national level. If you would like a
copy, or the opportunity to review a copy of the final report I write, please let me know.

If you have any questions, or think of other information you would like me to have, please call
me at <

If something happens that you don’t like and you think something should be done please feel free
to call Dr. Bryan Hartman at UNBC, at

Appendix J
LOOKING AFTER CHILDREN IN YUKON
CONSENT FORM re Data from Pilot project 2001
1. I understand that Brenda Dion is conducting a Pilot project of the Looking After Children
materials in Yukon. The project is in partial fulfillment of her Masters’ Degree in
Community Health
2. This consent is given on the understanding that Brenda Dion, the Yukon College and the
University of Northern British Columbia shall use their best efforts to ensure that my identity
is not revealed, whether directly or indirectly, unless I have signed paragraph 6.
3. I understand and agree that the information I have given to Brenda Dion during the
presentation of the pilot project report and collected in the written feedback from the
worksheets, will be
(a)

Used by Brenda Dion in the production of a thesis paper

(b)

Used by Brenda Dion in a paper or presentation to the Director of Family and
Children’s Services, Government of Yukon.

(g)

May be stored as part of the archives of U.N.B.C. or the Yukon College and made
available to researchers for study, reproduction and recording.

(d)

Used in a published work by Brenda Dion, the Yukon College or U.N.B.C.

4. I hereby waive any claim against Brenda Dion, the Yukon College, U.N.B.C.; their
employees, directors, officers, agents and publishers with respect to the use of said
information, provided it is used in accordance with this agreement. I do this freely and with
full knowledge of the legal consequences of this consent.
5. I am fully aware that my participation in this phase of the pilot project is voluntary and that I
can withdraw at any time.
N am e:__________________________D ate:___________________________________
Signed:_________________________ Witness:
6.

I hereby give my further consent to the use of my name, and/or details about my life,
which may directly or indirectly reveal my identity.

D ate:______________________________
Signed:________________________ Witness: