Learning Outcomes
- Explain the key ethical principles
- Apply principles to care decisions
Respect
At the core, respect for the child's innate rights, dignity, diversity and privacy must be integrated across all aspects of foster care. This influences decisions big and small - from how records are maintained to the choice of words used when speaking to a child.
Integrity & Responsibility
Foster carers must conduct themselves with integrity, honesty, and responsibility in their duties. This includes exercising transparency in record keeping, communications and decision making as well as maintaining competence in their continued professional development.
Justice, Fairness & Equality
The principle of justice advocates for equality and fairness. In context of foster care, this includes being non-judgmental towards the backgrounds of children and their families and maintaining an open mindset. Providing equitable care by acknowledging each child's uniqueness also stems from this ethical value.
Beneficence
Beneficence speaks to prioritising the needs, safety, wellbeing and best interests of foster children across all decisions and actions.
Ethical Decision Making
Navigating complex scenarios may involve weighing ethical principles against regulations or comparing the validity of different choices that may all have reasonable rationales. When making a decision, foster carers need to reflect to ensure alignment with core values and consult with others in the child’s network where this seems prudent.
By consciously applying ethical reasoning on a daily basis, carers can uphold their commitment to the profession's values in each interaction.