Re: Standards for substantiation of abuse in foster care

["Lourdes Diaz" <lourdeslatorre@xxxxxxx>]

Do you know where I can find figures on child maltreatment in foster care?
In your message you mentioned different standards in child discipline for
foster care. Would you elaborate more on this? Is  about standards put in
place by agencies or approach of child welfare workers  in their
interventions? Thanks in advanced and happy thanksgiving.   Lourdes
----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Lyons <SWOPXL@langate.gsu.edu>
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
<CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2001 1:34 PM
Subject: Standards for substantiation of abuse in foster care


> Georgia has recently undergone the Federal Child and Family Service Review
process and is now writing  a Program Improvement Plan. One issue raised was
the different standard for determining maltreatment in foster care.
Currently the state records any breach of foster care, child discipline
standards as maltreatment. Many incidents would not be recorded as
substantiated maltreatment in the general population, because they would not
rise to the standard of abuse.
>
> As part of the Program Improvement Plan, the state would like to address
this issue by reducing the number of actual incidents, but also by
comparison with practices in other states.
>
> Long preamble - the question is: How do other states record incidents in
foster care that breach foster care discipline standards, but would not be
considered maltreatment, if the child were not in foster care.
>
> This is not to suggest that these incidents (minor physical discipline for
example) should be condoned, or that the state should weazle out of its
responsibility to ensure and maintain appropriate standards, It is an
attempt to determine if we are making reasonable cross state comparisons.
>
> Thanks
>
> Peter
>
> Peter Lyons Ph.D.
> School of Social Work
> Georgia State University
> University Plaza
> Atlanta GA 30303
> 404 651 3530
> lyonsp@gsu.edu
>