RE: foster care

[Kim Murphy <KimM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Stacey Peckham,

I did a study a few years ago on 10-17 year olds in foster care --
interviewed them about their understanding and attitudes about various
aspects of foster care and their experiences in foster care.  Getting
consent was a very involved process.  The Advisory Committee on Human
Experimentation at my university (the ethics review board), the local child
protective agency, and the local judges required the following:

1.  Try first to get consent from bio parents.  I created mailing packets
(included: cover letter; consent forms - one for them, one to mail to me;
description of study; self-addressed stamped envelope).  I handed these
mailing packets (with postage already on the packets) over to the child
protective office so that their staff could put mailing labels on the
mailing packets and then mail them out.  This way, the agency did not
release parent and child names to me without parent consent.  It was a big
waste of money, since most parents did not respond to my mailing.  However,
I had a few parents thank me for asking them first -- they have limited
control over what happens to their kids in foster care, so probably
appreciate being asked permission for such things.

2.  If I didn't hear from parents within a certain period of time, I then
got consent from the child protective agency -- the person who was
officially the joint custodian of the children in foster care.  Using the
"if we don't hear from you, we'll assume you give your consent" doesn't cut
it in a court of law; and this became VERY important, because I had a few
angry parents call their attorneys about my study before the study began.
Because I had followed these procedures for consent, I was protected.
Anyway, the child protective agency needed a separate consent form for each
child, so I couldn't put multiple names on one consent form.

3.  Then, I needed to get consent from someone who would act as the child's
advocate through the duration of the study -- someone to review the study
and make sure the children's rights weren't going to be violated by
participating.  The ethics committee at my university required this.  I used
the children's attorneys (Guardians ad litem).  I just met with them to
describe the study, and then had them sign a consent form for the kids they
already had on their caseload.  For this form, I did include multiple kids
on one form.   

4.  I also got consent from the judges involved with foster care work, since
I needed to access court records as part of the study. Even if I didn't need
to access court records, I would have gotten their consent.  These judges
are responsible for the overall welfare of these kids, and might not take
too kindly to someone interviewing the kids without their prior knowledge
that it would occur.  Could cause trouble for you down the road not to have
their buy-in.  

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me.  The study was a
labor-intensive study to start, but well worth the effort.

Kimberlee C. Murphy, Ph.D.
American Humane Association
63 Inverness Drive East
Englewood, CO  80112-5117
303-792-9900 (O)
303-792-5333 (F)
kimm@AmericanHumane.org




-----Original Message-----
From: Staci M. Peckham [mailto:speckham@ssw.upenn.edu]
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2001 8:09 AM
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
Subject: foster care


I am designing a study that involves working with young foster children.
Does 
anyone who has worked with this (or a similar population) have any ideas
about 
how to get informed consent from the biological parent - particularly when 
parents are difficult to find?  

Thank you,

Staci Peckham

Staci M. Peckham

speckham@ssw.upenn.edu