226 - "There’s no plan. They want us to figure it out”: The Impact of COVID-19 on Caregivers Providing Foster Care in Massachusetts

Poster Number: 226

Lulu Xu, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Belmont, MA, United States; Kara Banson, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Hopkinton, MA, United States; Diane Lanni, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States; Nancy Byatt, UMass Medical School, Lifeline for Families Center and Lifeline for Moms Program at the UMass Chan Medical Scho, Shrewsbury, MA, United States; Heather Forkey, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Princeton, MA, United States

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented stress on caregivers. There is little research on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected caregivers in child welfare and the children they are caring for.

Objective: To examine the experiences of caregivers providing foster care during the COVID-19 pandemic and understand how to better support them during and after the pandemic.

Design/Methods: Individuals who have been providing foster care for youth in Massachusetts within the last 15 months (n=26) were recruited via online groups for caregivers to complete an electronic survey and semi-structured phone interview. The survey consisted of multiple-choice questions about their demographics and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-5), a measure of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. The phone interview contained open-ended probes asking about their experiences fostering, supports and current needs, and the impact of COVID-19. Qualitative data was analyzed using a modified grounded theory by two independent coders.
 

Results: Almost half of participants scored “moderate” on the burnout and secondary traumatic stress ProQOL-5 subscales with “high” on the compassion satisfaction subscale. Qualitative themes show that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing challenges which include inconsistent communication from child welfare agencies, struggle with childcare relief, and decreased access to peer support. The additional perception that safety for caregivers was not a priority led to homes closing. Participants recommended (1) child welfare agencies treating caregivers a part of the professional team by increasing communication and prioritizing safety (2) increased connection with peers (3) continuation of virtual training and visits.Conclusion(s): Study findings highlight why caregivers in child welfare are uniquely vulnerable during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Systemic and cultural change within child welfare must be made to support caregivers in order to optimize care for children in child welfare.
CVLulu Xu CV.pdf
Figure 1: ProQOL Results
<img src=https://www.abstractscorecard.com/uploads/Tasks/upload/16020/FGOVBGGC-1180822-2-IMG(2).jpg width=440 hheight=247.469066366704 border=0 style=border-style: none;>Professional Quality of Life Survey results of study participants. Subscale scores are categorized as low ( < 23), moderate (23-41), or high (>41)