Professional quality of life of Australian Mockingbird Family^TM foster carers: Compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress

Background: Children's behaviours and support system typology are potential predictors of foster carer compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress (i.e., Professional Quality of Life, ProQOL). Little is known about the ProQOL of Mockingbird Family^TM foster carers compared to foster carers caregiving as usual. 

Objective: This study aimed to: Examine ProQOL of Mockingbird Family^TM carers compared to other carers; Explain associations between ProQOL, demographic characteristics, and determinants of ProQOL. 

Participants and setting: Two groups were studied: Mockingbird Family^TM carers (n = 27) and other carers (n = 89) of children < 18yrs. The sample was drawn from a single registered foster care agency following implementation of the Mockingbird Family^TM in Australia. 

Methods: Cross-sectional, comparative mixed method design. Participants completed self-report questionnaires incorporating demographic questions, ProQOL instrument developed by Stamm (2010), and qualitative questions, analysed using SPSS 28.01 and thematically. 

Results: Pearson correlation, t-test and ANOVA showed Mockingbird Family^TM carers had a better ProQOL compared to carers caregiving as usual, with associations identified between ProQOL and socio-demographic aspects including gender, ProQOL and foster caring experience, and ProQOL and carers’ engagement of the children in community activities. Qualitative data showed that communication, relevance of training, and the quality of statutory and agency supports to members of the Mockingbird Family^TM were key determinants of ProQOL. 

Conclusions: Our findings showed that the Mockingbird Family^TM model of foster care may improve the ProQOL of carers, compared to carers undertaking caregiving as usual. We recommend further research to examine associations with placement breakdown and carer attrition rates.