NSU Quality of Life Faculty Community-Based Applied Research Grant

FY 2011

Barbara Packer-Muti, Ed.D. Principal Investigator 954-262-5398

Email: packerb@nova.edu

Discovering the Lived Experience of Licensed Medical Foster Parents of Children

with Special Medical Needs

Additional Researchers and Community Partner

• Co-Investigator: Dr. Ronald Chenail • Student Research Assistant: Andrew Wolfson • Community Partner: Guardian ad Litem

Program, 17th Judicial Circuit

Objectives • To discover the lived experiences of medical foster caregivers actively

engaged in providing day-to-day care for children with special health needs

• To discover the experiences of medical foster caregivers relatives to the complex issues facing them (including training and support available, respite care, and interactions with the multiple professionals with whom they deal)

• To discover the impact of medically challenging foster children on the balance of the foster caregivers’ families

• To share the findings with the appropriate agencies • To contribute to the gap in the research literature about licensed medical

foster caregivers

Project/Research Design

Participants

• 6 to 10 Medical Foster Caregivers in Broward County

• Recruitment will take place via contacts with ChildNet, the Guardian ad Litem program and the licensing agencies for medical foster care in Broward.

• Important: Phenomenology studies typically use a sample size of 10 or less

Instruments

• Interview Guide comprised of a series of open-ended questions

• Principal Researcher is clinically trained to conduct in-depth interviews with clients based on background and training.

Procedures

• Individual interviews will be conducted (framed by the interview guide).

• Each interview will take approximately 1 – 2 hours.

• Interviews will be recorded and then transcribed.

• Interviews will be coded to identify trends to assist in informing improved practice.

Roles • PI will recruit participants, ensure IRB compliance, conduct

interviews, compile and analyze data. • PI will be responsible to write document, disseminate results. • Co-Investigator will assist in data analysis and as expert

reviewer of the coding system and as consultant in the design and methodology.

• Student will assist in setting interview, assist with transcribing interviews and preparing presentation materials.

• Community partner will assist with identifying interviewees and with resources related to demographics of foster children in Broward County.

Timeline of Activities

• Preparation/IRB: Months 1 – 3 • Execution: Months 3 – 9 • Transcription: Months 4 – 10 • Data Management: Ongoing throughout • Staff Coordination: Weekly • Writing and Closure: Months 6 - 12

Anticipated Challenges and Resolutions

• Medical Foster Homes and Scheduling Issues • Extraneous Variables • Possible Psychological Issues – Need for

Referrals

Data Analysis

• PI and Student to transcribe each interview • PI and Co-Investigator will separately code the

first interview to establish inter-rater reliability • Coded data analysis guided by model of

existential phenomenology outlined by Pollio et al. (1997) and further modified by Cooper (2010).

• Once all data is coded, the PI will conduct member checking.

Budget Summary

Item Requested Description Amount

Student Work-Study $9/hr & fringe $1170.

Equipment Dictation/Transcription/ Digital recorder/laptop

$2500.

Participant Stipends Target Gift Cards $625.

Travel Family visits $300.

Supplies Batteries, software, etc $500.

Other Conference attendance, presentations, refreshments

$4705. $200.

Total $10,000.

Dissemination

• Conferences • Foster Family –Based Treatment Association • Peer-reviewed Journals • Various Broward County Agencies

– GAL – ChildNet – 17th Judicial Court

Community Impact

External Funding/Sustainability of the Project