CONSTRUCTING AN ECOLOGY OF FOSTER-CARE - AN ANALYSIS OF THE ENTRY ANDEXIT PATTERNS OF FOSTER HOMES

This paper aims to illustrate the viability of using concepts and theo retical arguments from organization ecology to analyze dynamic change processes in foster care. The general topic is the relationship betwee n foster homes and their environments. The specific focus is the effec ts of the environment on the entry and exit patterns of new foster hom es. Drawing on our earlier studies of the 23 year history of a populat ion of foster homes, various hypotheses shown to have validity in acco unting for the processes underlying the founding and disbanding of for mal organizations, also apply in the case of the entry and exit proces ses of foster homes. One important contribution of this paper is in re -asserting the role of theory in studying foster care, and in helping organize existing knowledge. A second contribution is in reminding us that foster homes should be conceptualized and studied as existing in relation to their social context. They are embedded in social and orga nizational communities, and the nature of this embeddedness has import ant implications not only for understanding their behavior but also fo r how they should be approached in policy terms.