Maria R. ZunigaCalifornia State University Long Beach

May, 2012

Introduction There were approximately 408,425 children in the foster care system

in the year 2010 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Adoption and Foster Care Statistics, 2011).

Many of these children are placed in foster homes where foster parents play a significant role in the children’s well-being (Harden, Meisch, Vick, & Pandohie-Johnson, 2008).

A study shows that children in foster care present more psychiatric symptoms and general cognitive deficits compared to the general population (Pecora et al., 2005). This makes foster parents’ role more complex because they may need to work with difficult behavioral issues in children (MacGregor, Rodger, Cummings, & Leschied, 2006).

This study examined the views and experiences of foster parents who care for children in foster care with behavior problems; explore foster parents’ relations with biological parents and child welfare services; and explore foster parents’ view of mental health professionals who work with children with behavior problems.

Social Work RelevanceThis research is relevant to both keeping foster

parents and recruiting new foster parents.

This research is also relevant so that child welfare, policy makers, and other professionals understand and give better and more efficient referrals to service delivery systems and adhere to the emotional needs of foster parents.

This research may educate social workers and other professionals on the need to create programs that will support foster parents’ ability to continue to care for children with behavior problems and, therefore, diminish placement disruption.

Cross-Cultural RelevanceWhen children are placed with foster parents of a

different culture, misunderstandings may result from parents’ and youths’ lack of knowledge of each other’s culture (Luster et al., 2009).

Children in foster care, who are placed in homes which are culturally different from their own experience more difficulties in adjusting to the foster families than children in foster care who are placed in a foster home of the same culture (Luster et al., 2009).

MethodsData was gathered through qualitative interviews using

a questionnaire developed by the researcher based on literature on this topic.

One requirement to participate was caring for children in foster care for six or more years.

Recruitment flyers were posted at the foster family agency.

The researcher attended monthly meetings at the foster family agency to seek participants.

Fourteen participants were recruited from a foster family agency in Los Angeles County.

MethodsParticipants were asked demographic questions

including age, primary language, and number of years caring for children in foster care.

Other questions included open ended questions regarding children in foster care’s behavior; relations with children in foster care’s biological parents and child welfare professionals; and view on mental health professionals who provide service to children in foster care.

Interviews were transcribed and analyzed in the language spoken during the interview. All interviews were done in Spanish.

Interview transcripts were analyzed for common themes. Participants’ quotes from open-ended questions were presented in verbatim form.

ResultsAll foster parents (100%) in this study are of Latino

ethnicity and Spanish is their primary language. The average age of foster parents was 54 years of age.

The majority of foster parents (86%, n = 12) had children in their care with behavior problems.

All (100%, n = 14) of the foster parents stated they were not told of the children’s history prior to the children being placed in their homes.

Most foster parents (71%, n = 10) reported they had good relations with county social workers.

Fifty percent (n = 7) of foster parents indicated that relations with biological parents were difficult.

ResultsWhen foster parents were asked if they had seen a

change in children with behavior problems who receive therapeutic services, 57% (n = 8) stated they had not seen any change or the change was very minimal.

Fifty-seven percent (n = 8) of foster parents responded that the challenges for them were the ability to care for children with severe behavior challenges and the great responsibility of doing so.

Twenty-nine percent of foster parents (n = 4) indicated that their reward was to be able to maintain a relationship with the children after the children left their home.

Discussion Children in foster care and foster parents each have distinctive needs that

need to be addressed in order to improve children’s out-of home care and increase retainment of foster parents (Rork & McNeil, 2011).

There is a need for social work agencies to be aware of current foster parents’ views of caring for children with behavior problems in order to provide more appropriate training to current and future foster parents (Coleman, 2008).

This study was a small step continuing with the research in this topic by bringing into light to child welfare, policy makers, and other professionals the challenges that foster parents face in caring for children who enter the foster care system.

The experiences shared from these foster parents should assist these professionals in implementing and providing the necessary specialized education and skills to current and future foster parents to help manage the unique needs of the children who enter the foster care system (Rork &McNeil, 2011).

The results of this study should also assist child welfare, policy makers, and other professionals to understand and give better and more efficient referrals to service delivery systems and adhere to the emotional needs of each foster parent.

References Coleman, K. R. (2008). The psychological traits associated with retention and foster

parents. Retrieved from: http://acadweb.jbu.edu/psychology/ifps/2008/ifps%202008.pdf

Harden, B. J., Meisch, A. D., Vick, J. E., & Pandohie-Johnson, L., (2008). Measuring parenting among foster families: The development of the foster parent attitudes questionnaire (FPAQ). Children and Youth Services Review, 30, 879–892.

Luster, T., Saltarelli, A. J., Rana, M., Qin, M. D., Bates, L., & Burdick, K. (2009). The Experiences of Sudanese Unaccompanied Minors in Foster Care. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 386-395.

MacGregor, T. E., Rodger, S., Cummings, A. L., & Leschied, A.W. (2006). The needs of foster parents: A qualitative study of motivation, support, and retention. Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice, 5, 351–368.

Pecora, P. J., Kessler, R. C., Williams, J., O’Brien, K., A. Downs, C., English, D., . . . & Holmes, K. (2005). Improving family foster care: Findings from the northwest foster care alumni study. Seattle, WA: Casey Family Programs.

Rork, K. E., & McNeil, C. B., (2011). Evaluation of foster care training programs: A critical review. Child and Family Behavior Therapy, 33:2, 139-170.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Adoption and Foster Care Statistics (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#afcars