Building resilience in families who foster

What is it about?

In this study, we surveyed several long-term, successful foster families to understand how their families have adapted overtime in ways that allow them to meet the needs of children and youth who are placed in their care. Foster families provide safe and loving homes when children and youth are not able to remain with their own parents. This is both difficult and rewarding. By building up family strengths that activate the process of resilience, families who foster continue this important calling for many years.

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Why is it important?

In research, we often examine causes of problems or malfunctioning. Yet, there is so much to be learned by also looking at successful outcomes. By identifying the challenges of fostering but also the strengths of families who have cared for hundreds of children over many years, we learned about the unique challenges they face and very specific ways practitioners, child welfare case managers, and the community can better support these families. The child welfare system could not accomplish its purpose without the generosity and commitment of these families. Understanding how to support and therefore, retain families who foster is critical to our ability to care for vulnerable children and youth.

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