Aspirations: - TACT

Aspirations:The views of foster children and their carers1Aspirations:Aims, objectives and methodologySample of children usedBased on previous experience of questionnairebased research, it is known that on average 33% ofquestionnaires are not returned. In this study weaimed to get replies from 100 children and youngpeople in TACT foster care. In other words weneeded to send about 150 questionnaires in orderto get 100 returned.However it was found that the original researchsample (criteria of minimum 12 months inplacement) provided a list of just 106 children andyoung people at June 2007. Therefore, because itwas anticipated that this would produce a smallerreturn it was decided by the researcher and TACT toextend the criteria from a minimum of 12 monthsin placement to a minimum of 6 months, and toextend the upper placement length from 24-36months to 36 months and above. Between two andthree months into the study it was discovered thatthe number of children found to be eligible, i.e.currently in placement for at least 6 months and atleast 8 years of age, was 90 1 .The original version of the children’s questionnairewas piloted by 20 TACT children at an activityweekend, and as a result was substantiallyamended, edited and made more child-friendly inJuly-August 2007. Given that it was impracticableto conduct face-to-face interviews with so manyTACT children across England and Wales, and as aresult of feedback from the children in the pilot,the decision was made to use a clear and colourfulquestionnaire with limited ‘closed questions’ tickboxes rather than open-ended questions requiringlengthy hand-written answers. A £5 goody bagwas given as a token of thanks to each of thechildren participating in the pilot. The foster carers’questionnaire was written, and amended in July-August 2007. Two questionnaire booklets, one forfoster carers and one for children, were posted fromLondon South Bank University to the 131 childrenand their 79 foster carers in September 2007.Between September and December 2007 threereminder letters were sent to foster carers by theresearcher. Foster carers were also reminded toreturn their questionnaires by TACT local offices,managers and TACT social workers.By the end of December 2007 a ‘thank you’ letter,plus £30 high street voucher, had been sent toeach child who had completed and returned theirquestionnaire. A thank you letter was also sent outto each foster carer.The total number of questionnaires returned bychildren in TACT foster care was 56 (62.2%) 2 62%is a good response rate for questionnairebased research.1 The difference between 131 and 90, i.e 41, represents the number ofchildren who left placement in the 2-3 months between the time theinitial sample was identified, the questionnaires being sent, and theresearcher being informed by the foster carer or TACT that the childhad left the placement.2 33 children did not reply, and an additional child was not able tounderstand the questions because of learning difficulties.5