II [ Cw~j.l.{.~—~ 0%"in “(I-'"u" it v 'w J”; lfififl‘ ”all" . ‘ ll ‘ .l\¢ '3'" i '5. 1k 1 a THFSIQ ‘t AH zipoonaroxy STUDY TO EVALUATS USE OF IETAuE IhFOhAATIOH as Ah IEDICATIOE OF Tun FIEAfiCIAL hfiSPOLSIBILlTY 0F EATURAL PARENTS . h! Phyllis Cornell A PROJECT REPORT Submitted to the Sdhool of Social work Hichigan State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for tho Dogroo of MASTLR OF SOCIAL WORK Hay 1957 DU 4 ‘{3§?Hu1h165;55. actor 0 col ;n;,‘1‘. ' '1 ',H r “woo Avg. x) inunlluk 4;: i O For their assistance in completing this project the writer expresses gratitude to her committee, Hrs. myrtle Reul, Miss Frances Hetznecker, and Mr. Manfred Lillicfors. The helpfulness of RI. Clinton H. Justice, Executive, Mrs. Eerie Hansen, supervisor, and fire. Linda Kieffer, secretary. of the Ingham County Branch of Eionigan Children‘s Aid Society is also much appreciated. Finally, to her mother, Hrs. Pauline Cornell, the writer expresses thanks for continued encouragement and support during the writing of this project. 11 0,031” 12771. A'f‘"'.\“fr‘.:s ACMOfimmGNAIU 0.000000000000000coco-0000000000000 CHAPTER I. IKTRQDUCTIOK .............................. II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ...................... III. PHESEHTATIOE AND AEALYSIS OF DATA ......... IV. SUEEARY ALB IHPLICATIOHS OF THE STUDY ..... APPEhDIX .......................................... BIBLIOGii‘iPfi.I COOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO iii Page ii "th ; r“ ’n :1 hell‘s: L-‘adfu‘ I Izzncsccriog Foster care is the service grovided when a child's own parents are unable or unwilling to care for him. Such care may be necessary when there is physical or mantel illness in the femily, when there is marital discord. mis- treats: ~nt, neglect, deeertion. or neandonzuent. Agency—sponsored foster care is now densrelly cons idered eseentinl for any child. regardlese of eociel or economic status, whose parents cannot I.rovide an edeque.te home. Like OLner social services, it is increee -inbly nan e available for any eno need it, at a fee based on cost oi care and parents' inccpg in relation to tneir otner financial reszcn: ibilitiee. The right to the custody of a minor chile is vested in his natural parents. unless they are unfit as guardisns. As a result of the parent's right to the custody, control. and services of his minor children. teev Can expect tee reciprocal rights to support. protection. and education from the father. American courts heve almost sleeye held t7: rt the father 13 leeelly liable for the surport of his minor childra: _ lfielen R. in; in, “roster Cars for fibiloren', gggisl Work Yearbook 19:4, (L'e as {or American ficok-Strctfcru tress. 11100. 1954). p. 232:. even after the marriage has been dissolved.1 There is little direct statutory lesisletion deal- ing with the support and maintenunce of children in divorce actions. Unless they are denied custody as a result of unfitness. the duty of each parent to support the czlild continues as before the divorce and is generally tne fatner‘ s responsibility. Private agencies which accept children for foster care directly from their parents have often found what was intended to be a temporary, parent-financed, boarding arrangement has become an extended. agency-financed case. its accounts sometimes mount to hundreds of collars and it basemes necessary for tne agency to use either tile services 01 a collection agency or, perhaps more often. petition the probate court to assume custody of the children in which case the pest indebted- ness is often written off. . It might be set used tr .ut the ere is one hundred per cent reimbursement to the agency by the natural parent or zerents for the exyenditure for their children's care. This is a false assumltion according to t1 re figures obtained from the auditors of the financial books of the Inghem County Branch of niobigsn Children's kid Society. Lansing, iichigen. Their report for 1934 s? toned parental reimbursenent in tne amount of slb,932.21 while the expenditure for the care of their 1John D. Hogan, Francis A. J. lenni, Anericsn Social *nesif ls ticn, (Ken York: fiarrer nrcthers, 193s). pp. 2&9. sec. 21bid., p. 221. children amounted to o24,079.86. The estimated return for buéget purposes had been c23,2§9.33. As a consequence of this under-payment the agency was left with a deficit of 53,177.65 in this part of their program. A similar situation also occured in this same agency in 1955 when parental reimbursement amounted to cl€,201.03 and the expenditure totaled 919,321.31. The estimated return had been c-EO,£50.0D and the deficit amounted to 43.1393051- nnother child placing agency in this some community, Catholic Social Service, reported a comparable oituetion in both ltbfi and 1936. The calculations from their office showed an expenditure of 95,656.52 for board and cure and reimburse-_ went from parents amounting to e2,13o.30. This left a deficit of “5,723.52 in 1325. The following your the expenditure for board and cure roee to @12,G72.34 and parental payment increused to c6,ClB.31 leaving a deficit of e5,054.05. need for the Study The advisability of continued use of chest funds to supplement inadequate purentel support seemed questionuble. While greet effort wee being expanded in attempting to recover bad debte Which hed accumulated, anyurently little emrhaeis was being placed on the prevention of parental indebtconess. No organized date was available which would facilitate early prediction of financial responsibility or irreeponcibility and thereby make possible on expedient disposition of the of the caeee involved. Statement of the flypctheeia Ae a result of a Student-Field Instructor conference concerning parent eccounte. the hypothesis evolved that there is a constellation of factors recognizable at intake which will inoioate the probability of the parente' ability and deeire to take financial responsibility for their offspring while in foster care. During the discussion it wee conJectured that the basic comzonente of parental financial responsibility. or lack thereof, were those life exterienoee which contributed to the general stability of the parent or parents who were placing their children. Further copyceition raised the possibility that general areas of common experience might distinguish potentially prompt paying cliente from potential debtore. On this basis an adequate eVeluation of the strengths and weaknesses in each individual coec at intake seemed to be of import. :plicente would not be refused because of inability to pay the full cost of care. Some cases would be accepted and would pay only part of the totel ooet of cure. In some cases referral would be in order. In the coaee Which were accepted the more conglote knowledge of family relationships and general stability would indicate the type and intensity of casework which would be most economicol for client, community and agency. " u m. u... Statement of the Iroblom ?inunciolly cpoaking there are two general types of parents who come to a foster Cora agency asking for help. those who will be prompt in payment and those Who will be dilatory. The problem of this Btudy was to obtain and categorize available face sheet and intake information in such a way that the distinctive characteristics of each type would be ooparotod and could consequently be compared. zothodology This study woo essentially a comparative study of ease material. Precisely, the material recorded on face shoots and under intake dictation was examined and classified on a work shoot. For further background information conferences were held with the executive. coco ouporvisor. office m;noger. and bookkoozor of Michigan Children's Aid and also with the director and secretary of Catholic Social Service. . S;ecific financial information was obtained from caseworkerc' financial ahooto. the parental account lodgers. and reports of the auditors at kichigan Children's aid. Because the bu set was not broken down in terms of agency and parental supzort, Catholic Social Service performed the necessary computaticno to derive the figuroa for their report as a service to the author. '.., Setting In Union Study baa Done Iormiocion was granted by the Executive Secretary of Inghcm County branch of Aicnigun Children'e Aid oooioty for the use of case material for testing the hypothesis on which this study is based. The Ingham County branch is one of ten branches of a otnte-wioa grivcto cLild welfore agency. Ito principal aouroo of support is the Community Chest. Factor care is given children on application by natural parents or other legally recponoiblo acultc and the courts olco purchase care from this agency for some of the children in their custody. Proviouc to placcment a finnncial agreement is signed by the natural parent or parents rat enacting their acknowledgement of a financial obligation for their child‘s support. before 1951 tho financial agreement between parent and agency which was used was loco inclusive than the one instituted in that your. The agreement which was put into use at that time hoe bcen oontinuoc with the change of only one word. (See Appendix A.) In 1931 there was a change of executives and a consequent change in philosophy concerning parental financial obligation. In 1953 there was another change of executives and curing the entire period of 1321 through 1355 there was much change of persorndiboth in the clerical and casework staff. A diversity of background, training, and experience res represented on the staff. There were workers with A.B., H.A., and M.S.W. degrees and those with less than the H.S.W. had not necessarily been trained in Social Work or an allied field. There was no consensus of interpretation as to ihosc responsibility it was to actually collect board money. Some of the staff considered it a caseworker's function and others considered it a Job of the office manager. By 1954 the beginnings of the present policy were being established. (See Appendix B.) Limitations Immediately preceding and during the period of this study the agency was in a state of flux with many changes in personnel. This, coupled with a lack of consistency in the method used by the various oaseworkers in recording face sheet and intake information resulted in records having numerous omissions of factual information. A limitation of this study was these incomplete records. It was impossible for the writer to evaluate the reasons for the omissions or to interview the various workers in order to obtain the miss- ing information. Sample Twenty-two cases were selected from the total intake period from January 1. 1954, to December 51, 1955. There were no carry-overs from 1933 included. Some of the eases were readmiseione of children previously known to the agency. The applicants were to be one or both of the natural parents of children already born. Unmarried mothers were not included in the sample. The financial arrangements for the children in this particular sample were to be strictly between the agency and the natural parent; therefore, court cases were eliminated. Only cases which were active for two months or more were included. Since only twenty-two cases were available Which met the stipulations set forth, the sample is not of adequate size to permit more than an exploratory study of the possible predictive value of intake information. This could be considered an additional limitation of the study. CHAPTER II REVIEW 0? LITERATURE Child-caring organizations came into existence and continue to exist because there have been and are parents who find it impossible or lack desire to care for their children in their own home. While some of these people are faced with very realistic and serious immediate problems, others find it impossible to fulfill their parental obligations because of traumatic experiences in their own lives Which cripple their parenting abilities. Many of the institutions which were established in the middle of the nineteenth century were for orphan cure but they soon began to be used for care of children of living parents. Then, as now. society was likely to take for granted that there was something drastically wrong with a living parent, particularly a mother, Who put her child in a boarding home. It is well to remember that up to a generation or so ago there was in the community, along with this critical Judgment uzon parenthood, a great deal of cohesiveness in the family as an institution than there is now. Because our population was far less mobile than it has since become, and because women had not yet emerged so completely from the home, marriages were more likely to take place within the familiar, established group. Because the tempo of 10 living was slower, marriage did not take place in such a hurry either, and there was more time for preparation, at least in a material sense. Because the school and the activities group had not yet taken over so many of the functions essential to rearing children, children lived and experienced more of their developing life in re- lation to their families. The church exercised greater influence over more people, holding before them the ideal of the sanctity of the home and the responsibilities of parenthood. This more restricted and restrictive society, while it passed highly critical Judgment upon the individual who failed in his parental responsibility, at the same time Agave a kind of social support to its individual members in the carrying out of that responsibility, a support Which we have had to sacrifice in the interests of greater individual freedom. One might generalize that in the average American community a child is not considered well cared for if he does not have enough financial support to insure health, decency, and even a degree of comfort and recreation. The child's Opportunity to have preper care is completely dependent upon the welfare of the adult provider in his A life. Can this provider secure work? has he the physical, intellectual, and emotional capacities to discharge his responsibility to the child? The child's security is threatened by any condition, permanent or temporary, which damages the well being of the adults who furnish his liveli- hOOd 0 During periods of steady employment and high wages 1Eleanor P. Sheldon, 'Intake Practices-~The Core of the Agency's Service in.Helping Children and Their Parents,“ ggild welfare, IIYIII (December, 1949), p. 16. 11 child life suffers least. Low wages, or frequent inter- ruptions in earning capacity, aggrsvate the destructive elements in the lives of both adults and of children. Obvious cases of suspension of steady employment are ill- ness. accidents. economic depressions which create wide- spread unemployment, and the various labor-management disputes. Among the less recognized factors, although frequently observed by social work practitioners, are lack of vocational training. excessive size of family, emotional difficulties resulting in inability to hold a steady Job, criminal behavior, and last but not least, mental deficiency and physical handi- cap. Not one of these cases operates in Just one direction-- it is both cause and effect.1 Early in the history of foster care the heavy emphasis ‘on the interests of the child and the responsibility of the agency to the child tended to exclude the parents. In some cases this situation still persists. While this exclusion is not admitted nor perhaps even conscious it may be reflected in the tendency of an agency to take over for a parent rather than to work with the parent to help him assume his responsibil- ity. Communities have tended to have a paternalistic philosophy in regard to the care of children which has directly affected ww— 1 TT r7 V ‘_ Abd-El-namid saki, A Stud of Child Welfare in a Karel few York County. (haw York: Columbia University, bureau of V Publications, Teachers College), pp. 36-57. 12 the way parents have accepted and used foster care. The philosophy and pclicy of intake influence at the initial contact the degree of involvement of the parent in the process of placement and continuing care. The function of intake is not merely concerned with the determination of which cases are to be accepted for care. It is the point at Which the parent receives his first impression, gains his essential knowledge of the function and Operating policies, and becomes actively involved in decision-making concerning his child's welfare as far as the agency is concerned. Intake becomes the core of our service when it enables a parent to choose a kind of care for his Child; a kind of care which he will then provide with our help.s....Sometimes our first task is to put a roof over a child's head before night, and there is little or no time in which to make sure where his parents stand in relation to the move until after it has been accomplished. Sometimes it seems impossible to believe of a parent that beneath the fear and hostility, the defensiveness 'nnd anxiety, there remains a spark of willingness to give his child anything. And sometimes, but far more rarely than we think, there is actually no such willingness, and our task is then to help ‘ the child live with that reality......The truth remains the same; the best and most effective help to children lies in enabling their parents to help them to the extent they can. The worker at intake is also involved in decision- making. An assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the applicant or applicants and an evaluation of the present- ing situation in terms of the function of the agency is the Job of the worker. Service to the client may involve either acceptance of the application or giving assistance in discover- 1Sheldon, OT}. Cit-o. p. 14. 13 ing other resources which are more appropriate in the particular situation. At intake the worker has a responsibility to the community. Knowledge of community resources and use of community resources eliminates duplication of services and assures the community of more economical service. In an agency giving financial assistance the resources of an applicant are evaluated and a budget calculated to determine the family needs. In a child placing agency the cost of care is determined and then the parents are asked how much of that sum they can contribute.\ We see at this point an ignoring of the legal responsibility of the parent for financial support of his child. ”Policies should be the outgrowth of the agency's understanding of each client's need as well as its responsibility to the community and should be aids to the casework process.‘1 Financial planning is the logical part of foster care intake process. .The feelings of workers sometimes tend to be-cloud the issue and there is often some reticsnce to use the discussion of finances as a tool in the casework process in placement planning. A recognition of the fact that forthright discussion of the problem of financial responsibility is essential to helping the client in his ‘..; 1Clara Swan, "new Agency Policy Affects Intake,“ Child Welfare, my (April, 1955), p. e 14 decision-making at this stage would perhaps enable the intake worker to utilize this area with greater facility. As much as any one factor, the discussion of financial responsibilities tends to clarify a parent's attitude toward his child and toward the plan of care that is being considered. Lot only at intake, but also all through our contact with a case, it is important that we be aware of the changing values the financial responsibility has for the parents.1 It is essential not only for the agency to know the resources of the family and to make some evaluation of the potential but it is also necessary for the parent to have a detailed and clear understanding of the capense involved in the care of the child. Only if agency financial policy is clarified can the parent make a decision as to his ability to use the service. In working this plan out arrange- ments can be made to utilize the resources the parent has available immediately and to lay groundwork for stimulating growth of greater parental responsibility. It is not the aim of the private agency to continue providing support to the parents but to develop their parental capacity by utilizing their core of positives to assist them in assuming a satisfying and reaponsible role of parenthood. An early effort to evaluate possibility and probability of their assuming this role is essential if the 1fiargaret Barbee, I"i“he Child-Placing Agency Considers the Parent's Financial Responsibility,“ 113 Famil , XXI, (July, 1940), p. 158. 15 the agency is not to be used as a "dumping ground.” If, with agency help, the parent can neither assume his responsibility nor relinquish it, the interests of a child are not well-served. In working with these parents she cannot assume a responsible parental role, the agency may need to face with the parent, its inability to assume responsibility for an extended period of time for the child about Whom the parents show little or no concern. This refusal to allow an immature parent to use the agency‘s placement services to escape the guilt he would feel in relinquishing a parental responsibility he cannot assume, is sometimes effective in helping a parent mobilize strength to face his problem. With help, these parents frequently can develop capacity to make responsible decisions concerning the future relationship they will have with their child.1 Honey considerations in a child placing agency have casework significance. They cannot be dissociated from feelings and relationships.~ The parents’feeling is often a greater factor than the size of his income in determining his ability to pay. In this is involved his feelings about himself as a parent, 1California, Dexartment of Social welfare. §3eoialised Services_f9r Children, £1951), p. 246. 2Dorothy Hutdhinson. "Case Work Implications in the Use of Honey in Child Placing," Ego Famil‘, XXI (July. 1940) p. 1550 his attitude toward his child, and his feeling toward the agency. His use of money and the way'he meets financial obligations to the agency and thus to his child may reflect love, hate. resentment; Jealousy, competition, or control. At timeefinancial reimbursement is not paying for a service rendered but a means of expressing perscnal conflicts of the payer.l Since the parent sometimes may'be feeling some sense of guilt because of the placement and in addition to this he is paying for something he does not really want, something which is causing him discomfort. he finds himself in conflict. It is not normal to pay for someone to take over the place the parent really wants to hold in the life of his child. On the other hand, a person may be glad to pay to relieve the guilt which he feels because he is really happy to be rid of the child. “The parent, then, by ways he handles his financial responsibility to the child placing agency attempts to solve for himself the unbearableness of the situation in Which he frequently feels he is. Sometimes the manner in which he does this results in the agency's being paid and sometimes not.“1 Summary The literature suggests that historically foster care agencies have in a sense usurped the place of the parent when 11b1d., p. 150. 17 the child was taken into care.‘ In the opinicn or the writers in this area it 18 oscential that foster care intake policy be such that the parent is an active participant from tna initial contact. Furthermore, pertinent literature auprorts the xractice of clear and concise explanation of financial xoliciea of the agency at intcko so that tha parent may plan raalictically in terms or his recourcea. fiealiatic financial tlanning involves the feelings of worker and parent around ths nae of money as well as a responsibility of the worker to the community. Such planning can play an important part in the total casework procaaa. CHAPTER III RASEHTATIOE AsD AfiALYSiS OF DATA For the purposes of this study the writer set up two categories to distinguish between those Who make prompt payments of board and those who are delinquent in payment. If a client was more than fifty dollars in arrears in the total amount owed to the agency at the end of a month, they were categorized as 'hon-Paying.‘ The category of “Paying“ included those who were currently paid up within fifty dollars of the total amount owed to the agency at the end of any one month. An examination of the financial records of the agency made it apparent to the writer that nine of the twenty-two cases in the sample fell in the category of 'peying' clients and thirteen fell in the category of “non- paying" clients. As the literature suggests, in terms of financial responsibility there are individuals and personal reasons ihidh may make differences between clients coming to the agency to request foster care. Included in the previous chapter are four possible differentiating factors broadly stated by Abd-El-Hamid Zeki. These four factors were 19 further sub- ivided or expanded and four additional possibly differentiating factors were added. For the purposes of presentation work sheet information was organ- ized into eight classifications: (1) The presenting circumstances leading to placement. manifested at intake. (2) Marital factors, (5) Age Factors, {4) Employment Factors, (5) Race or Nationality Factors, (6) Religious Affliction, (7) Court Contacts. (8) Hilitsry Service Record. Certain of these classifications are further sub-divided for presenta- tion. In the following pages the eight classifications will be described for the parents who paid and the parents who were delinquent in payment. On the basis of this descrintion a statement of the probably predictive value of the informa- tion will be made. Some classifications may be meaningful from even this small sample nd some may indicate further study is necessary. Presenting Circumstances This classification was further divided in three parts: (1) Stated reason for boarding, (2) Which parent made application. (3) The source of referral. §tated Reasonzgpr Boarding: Paying Category: Of the nine cases in the category two cases represented stable marriages with the immediate problem being that of temporary necessity of employment of the mother. In two cases the father of the child was in the service and the mother was employed. There was a marital separation in both of these cases. Two cases represented divorces with the mother being employed. In one of these the husband and the legal father were both contributing. In the other there was no contact with the father. Two cases evidenced health problems in addition to marital disharmony leading to separa- tion. One case was a case of marital separation with the mother not desiring any responsibility for the children and the father being in need of housing for the children while he worked. Non-Paying Category: In three of the thirteen cases in this category the removal of the children from the home was necessary on the basis of mental illness of one parent. In one of these the mother‘hsd been receiving Aid to Dependent Children but was no longer receiving it. The reason for her ineligibility was not clearly stated in the record. Besides the mother's ill health there was a medical problem with one child. There were two cases of the parents being separated and the mother working. One of these had previously boarded with the agency and had not made prompt board payments at that time. One case was a readmission by a father whose second marriage was breaking up. He had not made regular board payments during the first placement. Three applicants desired boarding care for a legal child until adeption could be congleted. Boarding care in one case was necessitated by the hospitalization of the mother in a tuberculosis hospital. The remaining two cases were cases of divorce with the mother working. Paying Category - Six of the nine applications were made by the mother. One application was made by the father. Two applications were made by both parents. Eon-Paying Category - The cases in this category were distributed as follows: Seven applications were made by the mother, four by the father, and two by both parents. genres of Referral: Paying Category - The cases in this category were referred by a variety_ of sources. There was no heavy weighting from any one source. They were distributed as follows: one each from the Friend of the Court, another brandh of.flichigan Children's Aid, the school, the Comn'nity Chest, and Family Service. There were two cases in referred by friends and two by the Department of Social Welfare. BO 10 Hon-Paying Category - The referrals in this group were from five sources with almost half of the referrals coming from one source._ Of the total of thirteen cases, six were referred by the Depart- ment of Social Welfare. four were self referrals, and the other three. came from the Friend of the Court. the Lansing Child Guidance Clinic, and the Probate Court, respectively. §ignifi§ance of Presenting Circumstances: The combination of marital disharmony in some degree and the employment of the mother were the reasons for a majority of applications in the sample. The mother made application in more cases than did the fathers or the parents as a couple. Comparatively, there were more cases of physical and mental illness represented in the non-paying category as well has a'heavier concentration of public agency referrals. The combination of these two factors falling in the non-paying category would seem to indicate the need for a public foster care program. marital Factors In this classification five factors were considered: (1) Present marital status, (2) Length of last marriage, (3) Number of children, (4) Number of marriages, (5) Number of children in care. Paying Category: 0f the nine cases in the category there were two in which the marriage was intact. One mentioned serious marital dieharmony; both parents were still in the home. In three there was a separation and in three divorcee. The average length of the last marriage was 4.2 years, the shortest lasting less than one year and the longest term» inating after nine years. Seven of them had been married only once. It was the second marriage for two of the men. It was the first marriage for eight of the nine women. One woman had had three marriages. Three of the nine families had only one child. Four families had two Children. One family had three children. One family had six. Five families had one child in care and four had two Children in care. Non-nging Category: or the thirteen cases four showed the marriage intact. In one case the second marriage was in the process of being dissolved. A divorce had been applied for in one case. A divorce was “pending” in one case and in four cases the divorce had been completed. The average length of the last marriage was 6.4 years. The briefest marriage lasted one year and the longest lasted twenty-five years. Nine of the men had been married only once. Four had been married twice. It was the first marriage for nine of the women and for four it was the second. One family had one child. Bight families had two children. One fandly had three children. In txo families there were four children. The largest family had seven children. Six families had one child in care and seven fmnilies had two children in care. Significance of marital Factors: For comparative purposes between the two categories there are two signiiioent factors. The non-paying group had larger families and more children in care; consequently, they had greater total expense. In seven of the nine paying cases some definite plan for dissolution of the marriage had been completed. either legal separation or divorce. In only four of the thirteen non-paying cases was there a definite plan. The non-paying families were in a state of disorganization legally and emotionally and consequently were less stable. Further study with clearer definitions in this area might possibly point up an important difference between the two categories. Age Factors The ages on which data was collected were: (1) Age at first marriage of each parent, (2) Age of parents at the time of application, and (3) Age range of the children. 2b Pavinr Cate”c -: The marriage age ranged from 18 years to 35 years for men and 16 years to 25 years for women. The average age at marriage for the man was 24.5 years. One man was married at the age of 18 and one man was married at age 33. The remaining marriages were distributed throughout the age range without heavy concentra- tion in any one sub-range. For the women in this category the average age at marriage was 19.8 years. There was one marriage at the age of 16 years. at age 25 years there were two marriages. The average at application was 30.9 years for the men and 26.3 years for the women. Children in these families ranged from 15 years to four months of age. There were five babies under one year of age. Eon-Paying Categogzx The average age at marriage for the men was 20.9 years. There were two married at the youngest age of 17 years and one at the oldest age in the range, 27 years. All the men but two were married by the end of their twenty-second year. The average age at marriage for the women in this category was 18 years. All the women but one were married by'the end of their 19th year. Two were married at the youngest age of the range. 15, and one at the oldest age in the range. 23 years. At_the time of placement the average age of the men was 99.5 years and the average age of the women 26.4 years. Children in these families ranged in age from 16 years to d months. There were only two babies under one year. Significance 9; Age Factors: The data indicates that as a group the parents in the paying category were older at the time of marriage than the parents in the nonppaying category. This is true for both the men and women. This fact might suggest greater stability of the individuals involved. The very young marriages of many of those in the non-paying category could mean that the marriage was an escape from an intolerable home situation representing great instability during the formative years in the lives of these parents. Especially in the case of the women, the early marriage age indicates that there must have been an abbreviated formal education. There is no significant age difference between the two categories at the time of agplication. This would seem to discount any hypothesis that the prevailing general economic conditions during the early life of these peeple influenced their feeling about money and the use of money. It would appear that their individualized life exyeriences had more influence in this area. \- . g a II. a . A J .t . ‘o I I a a. . a . n . r v. ‘ . a . . 27 The important factor in the ages of the children seems to be that there was a greater number of babies in the paying category than in the non-paying category. It may mean only that the families were younger. It could also mean that the parents feel less able to cope with the problems involved as the children grow older and the family disorgan- ization is intensified. There is some possibility also that feelings of guilt around non-support of young children and babies are stronger and thus are a greater motivating force for more consistent support. , . Employment Factors This classification was sub-divided into three items. . Lducational achievement was included because it seemed relevant in terms of employment possibilities. Also included were type of employment and present income. Paying Category: lducational achievement was given for only five of the eighteen individuals in this category. One year of formal education was the least stated and the highest grade completed was eleventh grade. The types of employment represented for the men were:- two garage mechanics, two in military service, one bus driver, one factory worker, one listed only as laborer, one unemployed, and one not reported. In only four of the cases was the income reported. Two of these four were military service allotments. One was an unemployment check. All the women in this category were employed except- ing one who was listed as a housewife. Only two of the Jobs required training and these were clerical positions. Two of the woman held two Jobs concurrently. Two were waitresses. Two worked in factories. Two were clerks. One woman worked as a nurses Aid. One Job was not defined but only described as ”works at Kellogg Center.‘ Income was listed for only three of the women. Two of these were the wives of the servicement previously listed. The other was a case where both the legal and alleged father were contributing but only the woman's salary was listed. E n- 1 Gate 0 3 Educational achievement was reported for only nine of the twenty-six individuals in this category. The lowest grade reported was the eighth grade and he highest was the completion of three years of college. One woman was a Registered Nurse and one a Practical nurse; neither was practicing in her profession. Five of the men were factory employees. The others were employed as follows: one delivery truck driver,one service station attendant, one painter and part-time station attendant, one foreman of a plastering gang in construction, one student and part-time clerk, one prison inmate, one unemployed invalid, and one not reported. ' LFive of the cases contained information pertaining to the income of the man. Two of the women were listed as unemployed and three were not reported. Three were full time waitresses. One was a part-time waitress and held a full time Job in the Jet Plant. One worked for the Seventh Day Adventist Confer- ence but no Job description was given. The same was true of one who was a.hellogg Center employee. One woman was a theater usher. One woman was holding a clerking Job for the Christmas season. The income of only one woman was stated specifically. In one case the hourly rate was noted but the number of hours usually employed was not listed. Two other cases mentioned only the alimony payments made to the woman but made no mention of her salary. gignigipsnce of Employment Factors: Because of lack of information recorded at intake it is practically impossible to draw comparisons between the paying and non-paying categories. Generally. it would appear that the Jobs held by the paying clients were of a slightly more stable type and slightly better paying than those held by the non-paying clients. . It would seem to the writer that the real significance lies in the neglect of the workers to record their discussion of this area. This may be a reflection of their phllOSOphy 50 in the area of financial need and the role and function of the private agency. Possibly they did not feel that die evaluation of financial resources and obl gations was an important part of the casework in placement. Race and Nationality Factors There were no negro applicants in either category. The nationality background was not designated in twelve of the twenty-two cases but was listed only as 'white' race or “American“. All seven cases Which mentioned nationality specifically fell in the Anglo-Saxon or northern-nuropean grouping. , Three cases did not fall in the above grouping. One couple in the paying category were recent immigrants, the man being Bavarian and the woman Latvian. Another couple in this category was Mexican. One father in the non-paying category was an American Indian. Significance of Race and Nationalityflgactors: The information in this area is not complete enough nor precisely defined enough to be useful in making compari- sons within the scape of this study. Religious Affiliation Pfl!1ng CfltfigOI!’ The nine cases in this category represented four protestant families, two Catholic families, and two mixed marriages. One mixed marriage was Catholic-Protestant and 51 the other Jewish-Protestant. gpn-PayingCategory: The thirteen cases in this category consisted of eight Protestant families, four Catholic families, and one mixed marriage. The mixed marriage was a Catholic-Protestant marriage. Significance of Religious Affiliation: The value of these data for comparative purposes are minimal. There are no outstanding differences between the classifications either within or between the categories. Apparently this face sheet designation was for the purpose of indicating a religious preference as the degree of interest or participation was not mentioned. . Court Record (For reasons other than the dissolution of the marriage.) Eenr__r_1e._.1 Ceiaem : There was no mention of arrests or court contacts in this category. Eonggaying Category: Five of the thirteen cases mentioned legal involvements of at least one of the spouses. One mother had been a legally adopted child. Another mother had been in a Probate Court boarding home and in the Clinton Detention home. A father had been arrested on an assault and battery charge. The arrest had been requested by his wife. Another A x) father was serving a one to twenty year term in a state penitentiary. The charge was not given. gignifigenoe of Court Record: On the basis of the limited information given it is not possible to formulate any conclusions on a comparative basis. However, the more frequent appearance of court encounters in the non-paying category might have import if I larger sample were examined. In that case a classification of offences or charges might be possible and might be indica- tive of the social responsibility of the persons concerned. Military Service Record againglCetegorzz This information was reported in only three of the nine cases in the category. Two fathers were in the army at the time of aprlicstion. It was merely noted thst one fsther had been discharged from the Navy in 1945. Eon-Paying Category: This item of information was included in eight of the .thirteen cases. In five cases mention was made of the father's time in service. Four gave length of service. Two stated rank. Three cases included information concerning the conduct record during service. The same three mentioned a considerable amount of time spent in the guard house or stocksde. One also mentioned an apprehension while AECL. One of these three was later sentenced to from one to twenty years as a civilian. §_ggificanoe of flilitsry Service Record: The fact that only one-third of the paying Cases had service information recorded, and in these no information concerning adjustment, makes a comparison of the two categories impossible. I Three of the eight non-paying cases reported showed an extremely poor adjustment in the service. In a larger sample this factor may fit into a larger pattern of instability. Summary Egying Category: The presenting problem most frequently appearing in this category was a combination of marital disharmony and employment of the mother. Application was made most often by the mother. In seven of the nine cases a definite plan of dissolution of the marriage had been completed. The average- length of msrriage of 4.2 years and seven of the nine marriages had only one or two children. For all but three individuals in this category it «as the first marriage. The average age at the first marriage was 24.5 years of age for the men and 19.8 years of age for the women. There were five babies under one year of age in these families. All but one of the women were emnloyed. £2n~Payinngnteqoz§s Marital disharmony and employment of the mother or a serious health problem of one or both parents made up the majority of the presenting roblcns in this category. Line of the hirteen referrals were from public agencies. In only four of the thirteen cases were the plans for dissolution of the marriage final. The average length of marriage was 6.4 years. Eight infividuals in the category were experiencing their second marriage. Only one family had one child. The average age at marriage for the men in this category was 20.9 years. The average age at marriage for the women was 18 years; however, all but one woman ens married by the end of their nineteenth year. Only two of the children were infants under one year of age. 0n the basis of this exploratory study the informa- tion derived from examination of the oases concerning; (1) Circumstances leading to placement, (2) harital factors, (5) Age factors, would seem to have some predictive value in determining probably payment or non-payment of board. Further study would probably further accentuate differences between the categories in these areas. The classification of employment factors might very possibly have great pre'ictive value if a greater number of records in Which information was complete were available. Racial and nationality factors, religious affiliation, court f- { 4).) contacts, and military service record would all hava to be much more precisaly defined and a more consistent recording of these factors emrloyed befora further study would be of value . owner-z Iv SUEQAEI ASE IJBQICATIOJS OE inn STUDY Summary The hypothesis that was the basis for this study stated that there was a constellation of factors recognizable at intake which will indicuta the purcnts' probable ability and desire to take financial responsibility for their off- spring while in foster care. - Twenty-two cases, nine wnicn represented paying clients and thirteen which represented non-paying clients, were selected from the files of the Eichigen Children's Aid Society, lngham County Branch. 0n the basic of information obtainable from the face sheet and from intake dictation these two types of cases were compared. The Specific information on which compari- son was to be based was classified under: (1) The presenting circumstances leading to application, (2) Eeritel fectcrs, (3) Age factors, (4) Employment factors, (5) Racial or nation- ality factors, (6) Religious affiliation, (7) Court contacts, and (8) illitary Service record. The literature pertinent to the study indicates that a thorough evaluation of the financial resources and obligations of the client at intake has important implications in relation to the client, the worker, the agency, and the communityythat 37 it is a logical end useful pert oi the cueeacrk Irocess from the initial contact until termination. The hypothesis as stated has been partially negated. Specifically, the hypothesis is disproven because certain factors appeared in both categories, the payin$ and non- paying, which would indicate either financial responsibility or irresponsibility and in individual cases did not seem to Operate as might be predicted at,inteke. Generally, it is reasonable to say that an indication of the probable stabil— ity of the individuals and families can be determined at intake 0 Implications The fact that nine of the thirteen non-paying cases were referrals from public agencies may tend to support the cirrsnt belief of several peeple in the Inghsm County area that a public foster care agency is needed. The executive of the Ingham County Branch of the Hichigxn Children's Aid Society also believes that certain cases are in need of service and not being served because of financial need and ineligibility for established state programs. As early as September of 1954, the Board of Directors of Richigsn Children‘s Aid made a recommendation to the Inghnn County Board of Supervisors concerning cursort of Circuit Court Wards. The movement was begun at that time for the deve10pment of the broader program which is now under consideration. ‘,As was stated earlier, extreme indebtedness some- times leads to petition to Probate Court for support of the children. This means loss of custody. Financial need is not Justification for removing Children from the custody of their parents. "It is necessary that we distinguish between child care that is needed because of basic dependency and other care that is justifiable private agency service even though financial supplementation is needed”:L Free care or an “adjusted payment” may be necessary and Justifi-- able in some cases but the use of voluntary funds distributed by the Cheat for the support of dependent cases does not seem to be proper_use of these funds. A further implication of this study lies in the area of the use of intake interviews and the information derived at this time. The literature and the stated agency policy both stress the evaluation of strengths and weaknesses and concrete planning with the client for financial responsibilities at intake. The paucity of information available in the cases of 1Hargaret Barbee, "The Child-Placing Agency Considers the Parent's Financial Responsibility,“ :he Family, XXI (July, 1940). 2Payment of less than the total cost of the care of child. It is determined by an evaluation of the parents' ability to pay. the samyle in the area of financial resourcss, education, and employment rsoord indicates that this facet was badly neglsotod. It is doubtful if a true evaluation of the client's ability to use the agency's serviCu cculu be mods without this information. Other than in the cases which were handled by the agency executive Inc had a public ussistancs background, there was littls evidence from the records of the financial planning being used as a part of the casework process. A.third lmpl cation bears on recordiné. It is recognized by social agencies that face sheet information is at best a brief summary of pertinent information. In recording an intake interview it would seem useful to expand on face shoot information in any area where such information would be bsnaficial in making an evaluation of the total person or fsnily applying. The ability of the family to pay for foster care is an important evaluation which must be mads when an application is being discussed in a private agency. Face sheet and intake information is the basis on Which planning for casework depends. This study indiCates that in most cases the intake interview as recorded was not soon or ussi as part of the larger picture of casework service to the families involved. A study of the years of 1956 and 1957 might divulge a contrast in the use of the intake information in terms of he '. awn -\./.A. ‘.o O 16* ‘1‘.“7n: m1 . APPENDIX PAYMENT AGREEMENT I promise to pay regularly to the Michigan Children's Aid Society of Ingham County the following sums for the maintenance of my child. This payment will cover the following items: Amount Board "_—" per week Clothing ’ per month Personal Care per month School Supplies per month Allowance per month Total per week plus per month In addition, I will make further reimbursement to the agency to meet the cost of any medical care which may be necessary for my child. I shall expect that such costs will be discussed with me as they occur, and that I shall enter into further agreement concerning the method through which these costs shall be met. I promise to make the above payments (weekly) or Quonthly), in advance at the office of the Michigan Children's Aid Society with the first payment to be made on . It is understood that the above expenses ‘fifi may change, and that my payments will be adjusted accordingly. e(Parent of Guardian} Date Witnessed: Caseworker Date -1955- 1. ‘3 Policy: a. Arplicutions and referrals are received from families or private and public agencies of Aichignn, other social agencies and. branches of zeic'nigan Children'eAid- Society. These are carefully analyzed to evaluate the need for the society’s service, or for referral to such aVailable agency that renders the services required in the case. b. Children may be accepted for boarding placement and supervision when study of the case indicates agency care is needed separate from the natursl parent, parents, or guardian because of the perentc' sickness or physical disability, personality maladjustmente in the family unit. broken homes, or if facilities are available, because of the physical handicap or maladjustment of 3 ch id. Children born out of wedlock may be accepted for temporary cure pending CUfiylfitiOfl oi :ermanent plane for the child. nvaluution of need icr cervice is in it- self a Justification for service to fuelliee ugxlying for boarding care for children. c. It is recognized tnet obvious cesee of neglect and dexendency are the responsibility of the Courts and public welfare agencies. The Society will cooperate with them to the fulleet extent poceible in furthering the welfare 1. 44 of the child or children concerned. d. In taking children into care this Society shall seek- the rehabilitation of the family unit. or shall seek, with the parent or parents, to obtain the solution of the case concerned. Generally speaking When a goal for termination of care can be foreseen and accepted at the time of coming into care, the best interests of the child or children are secured. c. It is obvious that there will at time be restrictions imposed on the above intake policy by the Society for reasons of finance, staff limitations, or availability of foster homes in the latter instance, branches should clear- with other units of the Society to see whether they may have a home available of the type desired. mammals er muse Prior to admission: Every effort should be made to help a family remain together if at all possible. The parents should understand the policies of the agency and the meaning of separation to the child as well as the parents. The parents, except in court commitments, should be helped to reach their own decision as to whether the child and family's best interests can be met by the agency. If the agency cannot meet the needs of the client, or if circumstances seem to warrant, the agency should take some responsibility for referral to the proper agency or source of help. R “7‘.- = q n, ,‘ o .11 ---O~-‘- "I Q‘. A‘-‘ .- g * '1‘. e "" .' I 1. ,‘ t' I' ' .' I . f“ I?“ . _ , I , 1 . . . .2 ; | ‘ ' V, . V ‘ l . u’ it. I . inf 3-1 a) .' A4,... 0.: A! ,LL. I...) .4" ‘54.,1 .Hn J-a —.V “I If '.. ‘.fid... J '..} L! .' Jgtflj A V.~‘- e “ -‘ : (a) Personal Interview. One or more personal interviews with parents or [drent, or guardian haying custody of children and the other parent if possible. In addition any other interested relatives should he interviewed during the study if possible. (b) The continuing casework services of the agency are discussed with the parents as well so the necessity ior regular casework interviews end/or cooperation with other agencies in working toward the goal of family or individual rehabilitation. (c) It is the belief of the agency that parents have a thesis financial responsibility for their children and that they meet this responsibility wherever possible. If parents are unable to do so, then other financial planning must be mode at intake. (d) In (a) and (b) above, the agency should obtain inform- ation fro: parents and others on tne family situction including pertinent facts on age, religion, education, legal residence, occupation and the whereabouts of various family members. Attitudes of other relatives toward the need for plecersnt sill be carefully considered. (0) Information as full as possible on the child's developmental and health history, physiCul condition, 46 personality, school placement and adjustment, previous placements outside the home, attitude towards removal from home and relationships with parents and relatives. (f) Exploration of the child's experiences and problems to determine the placement or plan best suited to meet his needs. (3) The child shall be made a part of the pre-pleoemcnt planning by being included in all ways possible. (h) Clearance with the Social Service exchange Where such exchange exists and/or with other agencies is part of the intake study. (1) Determined by the above points, available boarding homes are evaluated in light of the child's needs. Khan a boarding home is selected, the possibility of placement is discussed with the foster family and any older Child in placement in the home. (J) fiedical permission and boarding agreements should be signed before child is accepted in placement. (k) If no parent is responsible for the placement. the legal agent (1.3. Probate Court) and persons providing present care should be interviewed for clarification of the children's needs and agency policies. 43 L333l‘iiz”i‘ Eggkfi Irzzflericksczz, hazel. Th: Chi}: 5:3 313 1:1f3zg. San tranci3c0: a. H. araemun ave Company, 1343. ho 333- John E. and lanai. Erancia A. J. 33: ;. 93131 anion. Law_fcrka finrpor 333 chtncrs, 3333. 3321. £bd-31-xamia. A Sizer of Lhilfi 6333.3 in“ 3 31r3L Lew York Coungx. 333 xerfi: uuruau oi luu1103tiona Teacnars $011333, Cclumbia University. l§4?. Soci. 503$ Yagrbo .13“ . flew York: American £00k- otratfcrd ire as, lnc.. 19:4. Social h r: 'ie3 r3 cx_;9~7. i.ew York: AmeriCun Book- utrutioxd 3nress, inc., 13L 7. 3332.1. ea Baker, Sybil i. “Astabliahing a Fee Formula,“ “’0 31 "In.“ C3-RSU'WCIE’ J'ufitilil. Aprll. 1‘357. {‘13. 1'17-1UU. Barbee. gargaret. ”:he Child-Placing Agency Considers the Parent's Financial hesponaibility.‘ .}3 3:"133 , Ail, 531?. 1940. rp. 154-138. eatman, Fr3noia Leviaaon. “Family Interaction: Its Signific3nce for tiagnoaia and Trantmant,“ Sccial Cm 6303;. 333v111. LuiI‘Cu' 1934’ pp. 111-]1J. Fizdale. 53th. “A flew Look At has Chmrging.‘ Lacie; Casework. LAKVIII. Eebruuny, 1957, pp. 63-u9. Herman. Theda £033. "The Use of authority in Int3ke.' Child 3311.232.- 323v, April. 1958, pp. 10-13. Kutchinson, Eorothy. 'Casewcrk 13;Jicaticna in the Use of Ronay in Child P130105." EEG) “"1413 ALI, JUIJ. 1940. pp. 154* 1:43. Jone, Llizabath Howe. “31“ it is Intal