Towards Professional Decision‐Making: A Vignette Study on Problem Behaviour in Flemish, Lithuanian and Latvian Foster Children

Matthias De Coster; Johan Vanderfaeillie; Delphine West; Camille Verheyden; Tamara Pigozne; Jolanta Pivorienė; Frank Van Holen

doi:10.1111/cfs.70035

journal article Aug 12, 2025

Towards Professional Decision‐Making: A Vignette Study on Problem Behaviour in Flemish, Lithuanian and Latvian Foster Children

Matthias De Coster

Johan Vanderfaeillie

Delphine West

Camille Verheyden

Tamara Pigozne Jolanta Pivorienė

Frank Van Holen

Child & Family Social Work Vol. 31 No. 2 pp. 1125-1137 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/cfs.70035

Abstract

ABSTRACT
As directives are often missing or fragmented, foster care workers have a huge amount of discretionary power. They are trusted to use this power for the benefit of the foster families they monitor. Wrong decisions must be prevented at all times. With greater understanding of the factors affecting decision‐making, this can be done for the specific part of professional practice that is about providing extra support for foster children and/or for their foster parents. A total of 297 Flemish, Lithuanian and Latvian foster care workers participated in a study set up to examine what factors affect foster care workers' decisions regarding problem behaviour. Three case factors, five decision‐maker factors and one external factor were of influence. Professional decision‐making entails case factors to be (come) most decisive. Systematic and standardised screening for emotional and behavioural problems and low parenting quality could help diminish other factors' impact.

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Details

Published: Aug 12, 2025
Vol/Issue: 31(2)
Pages: 1125-1137
License: View

Authors

M

Matthias De Coster

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium

J

Johan Vanderfaeillie

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium

D

Delphine West

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium

C

Camille Verheyden

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium

T

Tamara Pigozne

Rēzeknes Tehnoloģiju Akadēmija Rezekne Latvia

J

Jolanta Pivorienė

Faculty of Human and Social Studies Mykolo Romerio Universitetas Vilnius Lithuania

F

Frank Van Holen

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Department of Psychology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium; Pleegzorg Vlaams‐Brabant en Brussel Brussels Belgium

Cite This Article

Matthias De Coster, Johan Vanderfaeillie, Delphine West, et al. (2025). Towards Professional Decision‐Making: A Vignette Study on Problem Behaviour in Flemish, Lithuanian and Latvian Foster Children. Child & Family Social Work, 31(2), 1125-1137. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.70035

Towards Professional Decision‐Making: A Vignette Study on Problem Behaviour in Flemish, Lithuanian and Latvian Foster Children

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