A significant number of children remain in foster care for long periods of time. Among this vulnerable population there is a high rate of placement disruption. Multiple placement changes are more likely to have a negative effect on children in out‑of‑home care than those who remain in the same foster home until they can return to their parents, be adopted or leave foster care between 18 and 21 years of age. This study examined the effect of the foster parent’s attachment style on the parenting values for touch, praise, encouragement, hope and commitment regarding foster children. Adults with a secure attachment style have been shown to be more effective in interpersonal relationships and are more likely to weather the storm through a child whose behavior is affected by trauma. The study found that caregivers with a secure attachment style would use touch, praise, encouragement, have hope for the child’s future and be committed to the long term placement of the child or youth more often. The study measured attachment styles of foster parents using the State Adult Attachment Measure (Gillath, Hart, Noftle & Stockdale, 2009); and an instrument developed by the researchers to measure parenting values. Foster parents also were invited to provide their contact information for participation in an interview. The qualitative interviews added depth to the study by helping shed light on how foster parents use touch, praise, encouragement, hope and commitment with foster children.

In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the monthly average number of children and youth in care in Ontario was 8,700 (OACAS, 2022ₑ). Most of these young people have histories of developmental trauma and require safety, consistency, and predictability in order to heal. As such, placement stability is a key goal within child welfare. However, placement disruptions are common and often result in widespread negative outcomes for young people in care. Within the context of the many supports that must be offered to youths and resource parents, one area of intervention includes parenting support for resource parents. The overall objective of this two-study dissertation was to assess youth and caregiver associations with the number of youth placement changes and to address some of these factors by evaluating an in-service trauma-informed parenting program. For Study 1, hierarchical regression analyses examined youth and resource parent variables associated with the number of placement changes among 1,624 Ontario youths aged 10-17 years. Study 1 utilized data from 2017 previously collected as part of the Ontario Looking After Children project, which is an initiative designed to improve developmental outcomes for young people in care in Ontario. For demographic variables, parent-model placements (i.e., foster, adoptive, kinship homes) were associated with fewer changes than residential placements. Also, younger age when first placed in care, older current youth age, and a higher number of maltreatment types experienced by the youth were associated with a greater number of placement changes. For youth variables, greater conduct problems, peer problems, and prosocial behaviour, as well as fewer internal developmental assets, were associated with greater placement changes. For caregiver variables, lower placement satisfaction was associated with a greater number of placement changes. These findings highlight the importance of considering both youth and caregiver factors that are associated with placement changes and as such, provides insight into possible areas of intervention to increase placement stability for youths in out-of-home care. Building on these results, Study 2 involved conducting a preliminary evaluation of the Resource Parent Curriculum (RPC), which is an in-service, group-based parenting program developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. This 8-module program was delivered virtually to resource parents in Ontario on six occasions during 2020-2021, with a total of 43 research participants. Youth and caregiver outcomes were examined by way of a quasi-experimental design that included 22 resource parents in the experimental group and 21 in the waitlist control and involved baseline, post-program, and 2-month follow-up assessments. In terms of resource parents' reactions, quantitative and qualitative results suggested that resource parents were highly satisfied with the program's content and delivery. For learning outcomes, RPC resulted in improvements in resource parents' knowledge and beliefs in trauma-informed parenting. While not statistically significant, post-hoc exploratory analyses revealed some potential small effects for improvements in resource parents' tolerance of challenging youth behaviours and in parenting self-efficacy. For behavioural outcomes among resource parents, several potential effects (not statistically significant) were noted with small to medium effect sizes regarding possible improvements in resource parents’ attachment relationship with their youth, increased social supports, improved family functioning, and reduced parenting distress. Study 2 was novel in being the first to evaluate RPC using a quasi-experimental design within a Canadian context and through virtual delivery. Findings highlighted both the benefits of the program as well as resource parents' ongoing training needs and required supports to improve youth well-being and placement stability.

Previous research has indicated the unique contribution that the interaction between looked after children and their foster carers might have on young people’s behaviour, emotional well-being and subsequent placement stability. Furthermore, there may be differences in the way in which young people and their foster carers view a typical family. Despite this, there is a noticeable absence of studies which have specifically explored the foster carer-child relationship, particularly in terms of how their individual perspectives might be negotiated within their interpersonal relationship. The current study therefore aimed to address this gap. Three foster carer-child dyads were recruited from a local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, with young people aged between 8 and 16 years. A Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) approach was adopted. Participants each completed an individual interview, facilitated by Perceiver Element Grids (PEGs; Procter, 2002) in which interpersonal construing was explored. Looked after children and their foster carers were then interviewed together to share and discuss their completed PEGs. Interview transcripts were analysed using Thematic Analysis and PCP concepts were used to analyse the interactional processes between young people and their carers. The study highlighted a shared sense of fragmentation across participants’ accounts, with both looked after children and their carers reporting a sense of inauthenticity in the way they negotiated their interpersonal relationships. Differences in the way in which ‘family’ was perceived was also highlighted, with young people expressing a sense of ambivalence regarding their desire to be integrated into their foster family, whilst also retaining a connection to their birth family. These themes were supported in their interactions and co-constructional processes. The findings are discussed in relation to the relevant literature and clinical implications. Methodological limitations and directions for future research are also presented.

abstract: ABSTRACT Many foster children experience numerous placements while in out-of-home care; some up to fifteen in an 18 month period (Newton, Litrownik, & Landsverk, 2000). Placement stability is important for children to find permanent families, and for social, emotional and educational development of children. This study used the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW) data set to examine foster child and caregiver characteristics, and the caregiver-child relationship as a predictor of placement stability in the long term foster care general sample. Logistic regression was performed with the Complex Samples add-on to appropriately weight the NSCAW sampling. Children who were placed in foster homes or kinship homes and who had not been returned home at the Wave 3 interview were included in the study. The sample consisting of 562 children was divided into three groups based on age: Early Group 1, childhood ages 1to 5, group 1;Group 2, Middle childhood ages 6 to 10, group 2; Group 3, Adolescence ages 11 to 18, group 3. Results are consistent with previous studies in that children in early childhood and middle childhood who were placed in foster homes were 83% and 87% less likely to achieve placement stability than children in kinship homes, respectively. In early childhood, each additional household member reduced the odds of achieving placement stability by 35%.The caregiver-child relationship did not predict placement stability. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Social Work 2011

In this study, the researchers explored child welfare workers’ perceptions on placement changes for youth in foster care and the impact these changes had on youths’ overall outcomes. Using a Post Positivist paradigm, qualitative research was completed using snowball-sampling procedures. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with sixteen members from their personal networks of child welfare social workers that have direct contact with foster youth. The research participants included current child welfare social workers from two counties in Southern California. The study’s findings suggest that children’s behaviors and foster parents’ reactions to those behaviors impacted placement changes. Further, participants felt that these changes significantly impacted youths’ educational outcomes. Participants identified a variety of interventions they used to try to mitigate placement changes, some with more or less success. Finally, workers identified barriers within the child welfare system, including communications and compensation, that might have an impact on placement changes. Implications for social work practice, policy and research are discussed.