A STUDY OF CASEWORKERS' VALUES AND ATTITUDES IN RELATION TO THEIR ACTIVITY WITH BIOLOGICAL PARENTS (FOSTER CARE)

Abstract

An exploratory formulative study was conducted into the relationship between caseworkers' values and attitudes toward biological parents and their activity with biological parents. The primary hypothesis was that positive values and attitudes would affect a higher activity level. It also sought to discover whether certain organizational variables, such as attitudes toward the agency, supervision, the peer culture, agency goals, and attitudes toward the profession of social work influenced activity with biological parents. The supplementary hypothesis was that these variables would be associated with activity, and secondarily, that a more positive attitudes toward agency variables would influence activity with the biological parent inversely.;The sample studied was fifty-eight case workers and fifteen supervisors of a Public Adoption and Foster Care Agency. The profile of the predominant worker in this study was a single women in the 31-40 age group without a MSW degree and with several years of agency experience. The instruments of the study were a researcher designed survey instrument, the Values and Attitudes Questionnaire which also contained three established scales, and Worker Activity Report Forms collected at random in two time periods. The two instruments were analyzed separated and correlated with each other to provide a more stringent test of the hypotheses. The computer and the SPSS program were utilized for data analysis.;The primary hypothesis of this study was upheld. Caseworkers' values correlated with activity rates using four different activity measures at the p < .05 - p < .001 levels of significance. Attitudes toward biological parents also correlated with activity rates, though not as strongly as values did. It is important to note that values and attitudes toward the biological parent were relatively high, while activity was relatively low. Yet those who had higher values and attitudes toward biological parents also had higher activity rates.;The implications of this study include training workers in small peer groups regarding working with biological parents, including values clarification training; and, enhancing the agency as a place to work. Further research into the effects of values and attitudes on the quality and effectiveness of activity with biological parents is indicated.