Title

An organizational view of privatization: Is the private foster care agency superior to the public foster care agency?

Authors

Authors

J. A. Steen;S. Smith

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

Abbreviated Journal Title

Child. Youth Serv. Rev.

Keywords

Child welfare organization; Child welfare workforce; Foster care; Privatization; Systems theory; CHILD-WELFARE SERVICES; MANAGED CARE; CASEWORKER CHARACTERISTICS; PERFORMANCE; OUTCOMES; PERSPECTIVES; DISPARITIES; COMMITMENT; CLIMATE; SYSTEMS; Family Studies; Social Work

Abstract

Foster care privatization is emerging as an increasingly popular policy option. One of the assumptions behind this movement towards privatization is a belief in the superiority of the private foster care agency. In an effort to assess this assumption, literature regarding public and private foster care agencies was reviewed with a special attention to the organizational and environmental factors derived from systems theory. Overall, the evidence did not support this assumption, as both public and private foster care agencies had their own areas of relative advantage. Recommendations are offered for future study of organizational characteristics in the foster care field. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Journal Title

Children and Youth Services Review

Volume

34

Issue/Number

4

Publication Date

1-1-2012

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

851

Last Page

858

WOS Identifier

WOS:000301912600032

ISSN

0190-7409

Share

COinS