Field Trips, Haircuts and Soccer Practice: Facilitating Social and Emotional Development of Youth in Foster Care through the Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard

Background/Purpose: Barriers to social, emotional and developmental growth are pervasive obstacles to the well-being of children in foster care. Developmentally-appropriate social and extracurricular opportunities can enhance positive peer support, self-efficacy and overall development. The 2014 Reasonable and Prudent Parenting (RPP) standard is a Federal law created to ensure children in foster care receive access to age-appropriate activities by giving foster parents (FPs) permission discretion. This study aims to better understand how access to social and extracurricular activities generally, and RPP standards specifically, are impacting FPs and the youth in their care.

Methods: A multimethod qualitative study collected data from current, experienced FPs and case managers (CMs) across one southeastern U.S. state via four semi-structured focus groups with CMs (n=16) and eleven semi-structured telephone interviews with FPs (n=11). All respondents were at least 18 years old. Demographic survey results indicated FPs were mean age 55, predominately female (82%) and Caucasian (73% Caucasian, 27% Black). CMs were mean age 30, primarily female (94%) and racially diverse (50% Caucasian, 38% Black, 6% Biracial, 6% Hispanic). Two codebooks were developed using inductive thematic analysis, one for CMs and one for FPs. The qualitative team analyzed each transcript, revising individual codebooks thematically until no new themes emerged. Coding was conducted in NVIVO 10.

Findings: CM focus groups identified the RPP as an emerging, critically-relevant child welfare policy. Based on CM statements, foster parents were specifically probed for RPP feedback. Foster parent interviews broke into Pre-RPP and Post-RPP domains. Pre-RPP, two unique themes emerged prior to the implementation of RPP: 1) negative social impacts and 2) complicated activity approval processes. FPs used words like “shame,” “detachment,” and feelings of “missing out” to describe negative social barriers experienced by youth in foster care. Activity approval processes involved obtaining permission from the child’s case manager and family of origin, which is further complicated by situations such as parental incarceration or disagreement among decision-makers. Post-RPP, three unique themes emerged after RPP: 1) empowerment, 2) implementation disparities and 3) resource recommendations. Respondents overwhelmingly expressed ways RPP empowered children in foster care to engage with their peers. RPP also empowered FPs to make independent decisions in their own home, such as allowing children to participate in sports or activities, without fear of excessive liability. Interview respondents revealed inconsistent statewide implementation of RPP and disparity between and within counties, including FP confusion about documentation requirements. FPs cited three additional resources children in their care need in addition to the RPP to participate in social and extracurricular activities: funding, time and transportation support.

Conclusions/Implications: This study indicates that the social, emotional and developmental growth of children in foster care has been positively impacted by access to social and extracurricular activities generally made possible by the implementation of RPP. This increased empowerment and flexibility for FPs has the potential to increase retention rates and decrease burnout. Additional supports such as clarifying statewide standards, increasing funding opportunities and increasing transportation resources, have the potential to further facilitate these positive outcomes for youth in foster care.