Exploring Social Work practice inside of Foster Care programs: The case of Bethany Christian Services

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore how social work practice within the Ethiopian context was practiced. The study fundamentally explored what the roles of social work practitioners in this area and the decision-making process of these practitioners entailed. As such using Criterion Sampling four practitioners who worked in the pioneer NGO in Foster care by the name of Bethany Christian Services were interviewed. The study chose a qualitative design in order to capture the full picture of the experiences of these practitioners. Pragmatism perspective in collaboration with the Decision-making Ecology were deployed as the theoretical framework to help specify and shape the study. The data was collected using extended fully structured phone interviews. The study revealed that Bethany had more than 10 years of experience within foster care where it has built extensive expertise. The organization first recruits families, conducts home assessment, then proceeds with the various extensive trainings which Bethany has through time curated. Once qualified the family then proceeds to the matching process where the decision making is performed in a multidisciplinary team after which the placement commences. Additionally, there is extensive research and knowledge sitting within the organization that is now being exploited by the government in order to revise the existing alternative childcare guideline. This new initiative has become the third foster care program within the organization.