LOCUS OF CONTROL AND ROLE PERFORMANCE AMONG GROUP CARE PARENTS

Group Care Parents working in the Family Group Care Model comprise a r elatively new occupational subgroup in child and youth care. This rese arch examines the possibility of distinguishing a specific Parental Lo cus of Control (PLOC) (internal/external) for candidates for Family Gr oup Care Model positions or those who are already in the field, and po ssible connections between the type of parental locus of control and p erformance of the parental role. Interviews were held with all group c are parents presently working under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Education (n = 72). The subscales of the PLOC identified conflicting elements in the group care parent role, highlighting the problem of ro le complexity and the need to adopt differential supervision strategie s suited to various styles of PLOC. Implications for further research are suggested.