A Study of Relations Among the Parental Self-Role Expectation, Spousal Support and Parental Self-Efficacy of the Primary Caregivers in Foster Families

• Main Authors: Chang, Bangfan, 張邦汎
• Other Authors: Hu, Huiying
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/50856509278998894464

碩士 === 靜宜大學 === 社會工作與兒童少年福利學系 === 101 === The purpose of this study is to understand the parental self-role expectation, spousal support and parental self-efficacy of the primary caregivers in foster families. This study was conducted by employing a questionnaire survey, and three major scales including “parental self-role expectation scale,” “spousal support scale” and “parental self-efficacy scale” which were self-made by reviewing relevant literature and theories were used as the research tools. By using the stratified purposive sampling method, the primary caregivers in foster families from nine counties/cities in Taiwan (excluding Penghu and Kinmen) were randomly selected to conduct the questionnaire survey, and a total of 272 valid questionnaires were collected. The research results of the statistical analysis are listed as follows: (1) The primary caregivers in foster families were mainly female, mostly senior high school and vocational school graduates, with less than 25 years of marriage and less than five-year foster care experience. Their main motivation for providing foster care was to care for unfortunate children. Most of them had taken care of not more than five foster children, and they mostly take care of two foster children and juveniles currently. (2) The difference in the level of education and monthly income, as well as the difference in the two motivations for providing foster care, “having free time” and “supporting family expenses,” all resulted in significant differences in parental self-role expectation of the primary caregivers in foster families. (3) The difference in gender, the number of years of marriage and the level of education, as well as the difference in the three motivations for providing foster care, “contributing to the community,” “enhancing the family atmosphere” and “supporting family expenses,” all resulted in significant differences in the feelings of spousal support of the primary caregivers in foster families. (4) The difference in the two motivations for providing foster care—“for having companionship” and “having free time”—both resulted in significant differences in the parental self-efficacy of the primary caregivers in foster families. (5) There were significant positive correlations between parental self-role expectation and parental self-efficacy and between spousal support and parental self-efficacy. (6) “Emotional communication,” “sharing support” and “learning guidance” had explanatory power for “cultivating the ability to get along with others.” “Studying guidance,” “sharing support,” “supporting family expenses” and “taking care of basic needs” had explanatory power for “the ability of learning guidance.” “Discipline guidance,” “learning guidance,” “sharing support,” “for having companionship,” “taking care of basic needs,” and “the level of education” all had explanatory power for “the ability of taking care of daily life.” “Learning guidance,” “sharing support,” “emotional communication,” “discipline guidance,” “the number of biological children,” and “for having companionship” all had explanatory power for “parental self-efficacy.” According to the research results, this study suggests the following recommendations as the reference for improving the quality of foster care services: (1) Regularly hold the shared support groups for foster home parents every six months and encourage the spouses to participate. (2) Rethink and reassign the reasonableness of the number limit of foster children and placed juveniles. (3) Clarify the parental self-role expectation of the primary caregivers in foster families through a phased approach.