"I Was Being Used More As a Babysitter Than a Foster Parent": Qualitative Findings from Foster Parent Surveys in Two States

Background and Purpose: The recruitment and retention of a cadre of foster parents is a major goal of child welfare agencies in the United States. This qualitative study explored open-ended survey responses from foster parents (ranging from n=23 to n=247) providing care in Mississippi and Missouri. The main research question was, what did foster parents report as being beneficial, as well as challenging, about being a foster parent?

Methods: Participants were surveyed at key points in foster care service including: (1) prior to their foster care licensing training, (2) after completion of training, (3) shortly after a placement began, (4) three months after placement, (5) after the placement ended, (6) at time of adoption completion if applicable, and (7) upon the foster parent’s decision to stop fostering. Using a thematic analysis framework, survey responses were analyzed separately, making note of interesting responses and initial potential themes that emerged from the data.

Results: Themes emerged highlighting tensions and contradictions for foster parents including the ambiguous goals of foster care, experiencing ambiguous losses, the perception that the “system is broken,” and the rewards of fostering.

Conclusions and Implications: Recommendations include prioritizing the relationship building between child welfare agencies and foster parents, and policies that communicate value-of-service to foster parents. Foster parent peer support groups and mentorship are identified as key supports to this community.