Research Project Antho

1. Why do people become Foster Parents?
Stacy Ziegler
Anthropology 100
Alyson Rollins
5/26/2013

2. Foster Parents Snapshot
Local
 Survey of 23 Local Foster Parents, currently in training
 30% of potential Foster Parents were providing Kinship Care (Known
Foster Child)
 61%Were Non-Kinship providers
 9% were open to non-kinship Foster Parenting but were there
primarily for Kinship
Nationwide
 Survey of 76 Nationwide Foster Parents
 4% of Foster Parents were providing Kinship Care (Known Foster
Child)
 92%Were Non-Kinship providers
 4% were open to non-kinship Foster Parenting but were there
primarily for Kinship

3. Demographics
Local
23 Respondents
 47% were 31-40 years of age
 13% were 21-30
 27% were 41-50
 13% were 51+
 69% were Female
 73% were married. Of the married couples, 87% attended the classes together.
Nationwide
76 respondents
 40% of the respondents were 31-40
 29% were 41-50
 26% were 21-30
 5% were 51+
 92% were Female
 85% were married, of the Married couples 83% attended the classes together.

4. Stated Main Reason To Foster
Local
 34% were providing care for a known relative
 23% stated they could identify with Abuse/Neglect and wanted to help
 18% were hoping to add to their own family
 17% said they loved kids and just wanted to help
 4% stated they wanted to make a difference in the community
 4% said they felt it was a religious calling
National
 6% were providing care for a known relative
 10% stated they could identify with Abuse/Neglect and wanted to help
 46% were hoping to add to their own family
 15% said they loved kids and just wanted to help
 8% stated they wanted to make a difference in the community
 15% said they felt it was a religious calling

5. Personal Abuse/Neglect
Local
 None of the local potential Foster Parents were Foster Children
themselves
 25% did not have direct CPS involvement but stated perhaps there
should have been
 19% said they were not abused but personally knew someone who was
 56% said their upbringing was free of abuse/neglect nor were they
influenced by it
Nationwide
 7% were Foster Children themselves
 16% did not have direct CPS involvement but stated perhaps there
should have been
 8% said they were not abused but personally knew someone who was
 69% said their upbringing was free of abuse/neglect nor were they
influenced by it

6. Foster Parenting Goals
 Local FP Goals
 60% were Fostering to Foster
 27% Were hoping to Foster/Adopt
 13% Were providing Respite Care
 National FP Goals
 30% were Fostering to Foster
 65% Were hoping to Foster/Adopt
 5% were providing Respite care

7. Summary of Local Respondents
 Based on the small sample of local respondents, I
concluded that most people who foster outside of
Kinship care or those hoping to adopt do so because of
altruistic reasons. 44% of respondents felt that their
personal upbringing was less than ideal and their main
goal was to make a difference in the life of a child
currently in the system. None of the people surveyed
were Foster Children themselves.

8. Summary of nationwide respondents
 It would appear that most of the national respondents
were hoping to adopt through the Foster Care system.
31% felt that their personal upbringing was less than
ideal. Their main goal was to make a difference in the
life of a child currently in the system.
 Only 7% of people surveyed were Foster Children
themselves.
 57% Returned home
 28% were Adopted
 18% aged out of the system

9. The Future?
 In 2011 there were 77,882 referrals made to CPS in WA
state. 37,992 were found to be valid.
 9,987 children were in the care of the state
 54% of those children were under 7 years of age
 As a society, if we become better parents, will this
inadvertently lessen our already scarce Foster Parent
pool? Or will it balance because not as many children will
need Foster Parents?