Introduction to the Casey Foster Family Assessments CFFA

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Introduction to the Casey Foster Family
Assessments (CFFA)

• An Interactive Learning Module for End Users

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How to Use This Learning Module

• Click on the navigation buttons to move
  through this learning module as follows
• Move forward to the next slide.
• Move back to the previous slide.
• Return to the Table of Contents select new
  content.
• Indicate an answer to a question.
• Go to the CFFA web site

WEB
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How to View the Web Site While Using the
Training Module

• During the training module we suggest links to
  important information on the www.fosterfamilyasses
  sments.org web site. If you want to go to the web
  site to view information, click on the button.
  When you are finished, minimize the web site to
  return to the training module.

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Table of Contents

• Introduction to the Module
• Overview of the CFFA
• Why do I need to use the CFFA?
• CFFA Development
• CFFA and Standards of Best Practice
• Advantages of the CFFA

You can navigate to any part of the content
by clicking the button next to a content area.

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Introduction

• This interactive learning module prepares you
  to use online versions of the Casey Foster
  Family Assessment (CFFA) tools for assessing
  foster and foster/ adoptive parent applicants.

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After completing this self-study module you will
know about..

• Who developed the CFFA and why it is needed
• How the CFFA responds to national, state, and
  local child welfare standards of best practice
• The benefits of using the CFFA

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CFFA Overview

• The CFFA has two sets of measures.
• The Casey Foster Applicant Inventory (CFAI)
• Casey Home Assessment Protocol (CHAP)

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The Casey Foster Applicant Inventory (CFAI) has
two versions

• The applicant version (CFAI-A) is the applicants
  view about his or her potential
• The worker version (CFAI-W) is the workers view
  about the applicant

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There are 18 Casey Home Assessment Protocol
measures

• Foster/adoptive parents applicants complete the
  CHAP measures to share their views about
  themselves

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Why do I need to use the CFFA?
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Think about foster parents you know

• Answer the following questions based on your
  experiences with foster parents, foster care, and
  your agency.

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Click to compare your experiences with studies of
foster parents
Questions

• What of foster parents never have children
  placed?
• What of foster parents dropout within a year of
  their first placements?
• What of foster parents say they feel prepared
  and supported to foster?
• What are the costs when foster parents are not
  successful?

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Studies with foster parents report

• Approximately one-third of homes do not have
  placements at any one given time. Many foster
  parents never accept placements because they are
  unwilling to care for children with special needs
  or teens.

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Studies with foster parents cont.

• Almost half of foster parents quit within a year
  of their first placement. Twenty to 25 percent of
  foster parents quit each year and another quarter
  express uncertainty about continuing.

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Studies with foster parents cont.

• Over half of foster parents report not having
  enough information about important areas of
  fostering.

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Studies with foster parents cont.

• Agencies have to recruit more homes for children
  in care. Agencies have a less experienced pool of
  foster parents. Children face placement
  disruption and move from one new inexperienced
  foster home to another inexperienced foster home.

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Foster Parent Development
Applicants come to agencies with a variety of
previous experiences that affect their attitudes
and beliefs about being a foster parent.
Experienced foster parents
As they care for children and youth and work with
agencies, foster parents develop greater
potential to provide stable home placements that
promote child well-being.
New foster parent
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Foster Family Assessment Process
Workers Knowledge
BeliefsAttitudes
Foster Parents Previous Experiences
Observations of Applicant
CFFA Scores
Strengths
Growth Areas
Sharing Results
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CFFA Development

• Casey Family Programs developed with CFFA in
  collaboration with the Foster Family Project at
  the University of Tennessee
• Caseys mission is to provide and improveand
  ultimately to prevent the need forfoster care by
  promoting advances in child welfare practice and
  policy.
• The Foster Family Project conducts research on
  foster family characteristics, recruitment and
  retention, kinship care, motivation to foster,
  role understanding, willingness to foster,
  training and services for kinship care, and
  foster home utilization.

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Others joined to develop the CFFA

• Foster parents
• Foster care workers
• Agency administrators
• Foster care researchers

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The CFFA was tested with experienced foster
parents and foster care workers

• Reference group of experienced foster parents
• 304 foster mothers
• 111 foster fathers

208 Workers
Refer to the CFAI and CHAP Technical Manuals to
learn more about the pilot study.
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Lets Review

• The CFFA was developed with input from
• Foster parents
• Foster care workers
• Foster parents and foster care workers

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Yes! You are correct.

• You answered C. The CFFA was developed with input
  from foster parents and foster care workers about
  qualities and characteristics they think are
  important to assess. This is a good point to make
  when talking with applicants about the CFFA
• Go to the next question

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Nope. Try again.

• You answered A. Foster parents had input. So did
  other stakeholders.
• Return to the question

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Nope. Try again.

• You answered B. Foster care workers had input. So
  did other stakeholders.
• Return to the question

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Lets Review

• For measures completed by the applicant
  (CFAI-A and CHAP measures), applicants responses
  are compared withthe responses of experienced
• Foster mothers
• Foster mothers and foster fathers
• Foster care workers

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Yes! You are correct.

• You answered B. The normative group for the
  CFAI-A and CHAP is the sample of 304 foster
  mothers and 111 foster fathers. You know what the
  applicants responses mean in comparison to the
  responses of these experienced foster mothers and
  fathers. The CFAI-W uses foster care workers
  responses for comparison.
• Proceed to the next section

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Nope. Try again.

• You answered A. CFFA norms are based on the
  experienced foster parents who participated in
  the pilot study.
• Return to the question

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Nope. Try again.

• You answered C. Foster care workers are the
  normative group for the CFAI-W.
• Return to the question

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The CFFA represents best practice in assessing
applicants

• Complies with best practice standards
• Child Welfare League of America
• Casey Family Programs
• National Commission on Family Foster Care
• Fits with pre-service training programs (e.g.,
  MAPP, PRIDE, PATH, IHS)
• Based on foster family research

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The CFFA adds to selection practices workers
already use

• The CFFA fits with existing guidelines for
  selection

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CFFA assesses fostering potential
Provide a Safe Environment
Provide a Nurturing Environment
Work as Partners with Agency

Support Birth Family Relations
Meet Physical and Emotional Needs
Fostering Potential
Fostering Potential
Manage Demands on Well-Being
Support Development
Grow as a Foster Parent
Promote Education
Support Cultural Needs
Manage Loss
Support Permanency
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CFFA is good assessment practice

• Informs, engages, and clarifies
• Guides tasks for foster home development
• Plans for training and support
• Improves stability, safety, and well-being for
  children
• Increases foster parent satisfaction and retention

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Advantages of the CFFA
Standardized
Reliable
Valid
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More advantages

• Assesses parenting AND unique aspects of foster
  parenting
• Designed specifically for foster and foster/adopt
  parents
• Developed with input from foster parents
• Compares results with normative group of
  experienced foster parents
• Compatible with pre-service training

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Benefits for Workers

• Easy to use
• Guides what to ask
• Opens communication
• Suggests how to interpret information
• Makes every home study unique

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Benefits for Applicants

• Share information easily, quickly, and thoroughly
• Add to autobiographical information
• See themselves as foster/adoptive parents

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Do Not Use the CFFA Tools
To approve or disapprove a family to
foster/adopt Without considering what else you
know about the applicant
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CFFA Review

• Your agency is considering how to improve
  its assessment practices. What are three key
  points to share about the advantages of using the
  CFFA?
• 1. ________________________
• 2. ________________________
• 3. ________________________
• Need help answering this question?
• Return to the previous section

Go Ahead
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CFFA Review

• Which of the following is NOT a way to use
  information obtained from the CFFA?
• To plan for ongoing training
• To guide questions for further assessment
• To approve or disapprove a family to foster

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Yes! You are correct

• You answered C. You can use the CFFA results to
  guide further assessment and plan for training
  and support. You should not use the CFFA to
  approve or disapprove applicants without
  considering other information you have about the
  prospective foster/adoptive parent.
• Proceed to the next section

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Nope. Try again

• You answered A. One use of the CFFA results is to
  plan for additional training and support.
• Return to the question

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No. Try again

• You answered B. One use of the CFFA is to guide
  other questions you want to ask the applicant.
• Return to the question

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This concludes Introduction to the Casey Foster
Family Assessments

• Thank you for your interest in learning about the
  CFFA!
• Other interactive self-tutorials on the CFFA
• Completing the CFAI
• Completing the CHAP Measures
• Sharing Information about the CFFA with
  Caregivers

To print a Certificate of Completion for this
tutorial, click on the button then press PrtSc
on your keyboard
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tutorial.
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Certificate of Completion
Is presented to
(Trainees Name)
For completing the online interactive training
module
Introduction to the Casey Foster Family
Assessments (CFFA)
(Date Completed)