TY - JOUR
T1 - Risk, resilience, and complexity
T2 - Experiences of foster parents
AU - Cooley, Morgan E.
AU - Thompson, Heather M.
AU - Wojciak, Armeda Stevenson
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017
PY - 2017/5/1
Y1 - 2017/5/1
N2 - Foster parents are the individuals who provide caregiving services to children in substitute care. Foster parents are faced with multiple demands when it comes to providing care for foster children, for which they may not expect or be prepared. The purpose of this study was to examine current and former foster parents’ experiences within the child welfare system to better understand what their unique experiences have been and their perception of the need for changes to the system, specifically highlighting areas of resilience. This study included 39 current and former foster parents from across the United States. Three overarching themes were identified: concerns about the complexity of the child welfare system, personal narratives that highlight the complexity in the system, and means of navigating complex experiences within the child welfare system. Findings were described and discussed within the context of a resilience model. These findings have implications for foster parent training, support, and intervention with foster parents currently involved in the child welfare system.
AB - Foster parents are the individuals who provide caregiving services to children in substitute care. Foster parents are faced with multiple demands when it comes to providing care for foster children, for which they may not expect or be prepared. The purpose of this study was to examine current and former foster parents’ experiences within the child welfare system to better understand what their unique experiences have been and their perception of the need for changes to the system, specifically highlighting areas of resilience. This study included 39 current and former foster parents from across the United States. Three overarching themes were identified: concerns about the complexity of the child welfare system, personal narratives that highlight the complexity in the system, and means of navigating complex experiences within the child welfare system. Findings were described and discussed within the context of a resilience model. These findings have implications for foster parent training, support, and intervention with foster parents currently involved in the child welfare system.
KW - Child welfare system
KW - Complexity
KW - Foster care
KW - Foster parent
KW - Resilience
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85014264591&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.02.030
DO - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.02.030
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85014264591
SN - 0190-7409
VL - 76
SP - 35
EP - 41
JO - Children and Youth Services Review
JF - Children and Youth Services Review
ER -