Profiles of adults most likely to become a foster family - A latent profile analysis

Tools

Magalhães, Eunice, Costa, Patrício, d'Eça, Leonor, Matoso, Mariana, Pinto, Vânia S., Ferreira, Sofia, Baptista, Joana and Graça, João (2025) Profiles of adults most likely to become a foster family - A latent profile analysis. Child Abuse and Neglect, 165. ISSN 0145-2134

[thumbnail of Profiles of adults most likely to become a foster family - A latent profile analysis]
Preview
 PDF (Profiles of adults most likely to become a foster family - A latent profile analysis) - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial.
Download (746kB) | Preview

Abstract

Background: The shortage of foster families to protect maltreated children requires urgent and effective solutions supported by theoretical and evidence-based frameworks. However, most research has focused only on the perspective of foster parents and has not been theoretically grounded. To the best of our knowledge, profiles of prospective foster families with representative samples from the general population have not yet been identified. Objective: The current study aimed to identify the profile(s) of Portuguese adults most likely to become a foster family through latent profile analysis, exploring socio-demographic variables and factors related to capability, opportunity, and motivation (COM-B model) as predictors of profile membership. Participants and methods: A representative sample of 1082 adults (Portugal) completed a survey comprising several self-report measures aligned with the theoretical dimensions of the COM-B model. Results: The results revealed three profiles: Ready Responders (highest scores on awareness, willingness, and intention), Willing Waverers (high scores on willingness and moderate scores on awareness and intention), and Reluctant Bystanders (lowest scores on all indicators). Having children, contact with the child protection system, conscientiousness, social well-being, parental self-efficacy, family communication, and family-related, self-oriented, and child-centered reasons were significant predictors of profile membership. Conclusions: These findings highlight the value of theory-informed profiling to inform targeted recruitment strategies for prospective foster families.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors
Uncontrolled Keywords: com-b model,foster care,intention,latent profile analysis,pediatrics, perinatology, and child health,developmental and educational psychology,psychiatry and mental health,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2735
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Social Work
Related URLs:
Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 05 Aug 2025 17:30
Last Modified: 05 Aug 2025 17:30
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100056
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107486

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item