Assessing Self-Growth in Characteristics and Competencies of Foster and Adoptive Parents Pre and Post Training: An Evaluation of the Efficacy and Utility of the National Training and Development Curriculum Self-Assessment Tool

Background and Purpose: The National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC) is a foster/adoptive parent training curriculum based on research and input from experts, families who have experience with fostering/adopting children, and former foster/adoptive youth. The self-assessment tool is one of three components of NTDC (the others being classroom-based training and the Right-Time training). The self-assessment is a fifty-eight-item survey that measures 14 characteristics and five competencies that lead to successful foster parenting. It is taken before the start of classroom training and again 90 days after classroom training concludes. This study aims to answer two questions: (a) which characteristics/competencies demonstrate strong psychometrics? and (b) which characteristics/competencies do foster/adoptive parent trainees make the most knowledge, attitude, and skill-based behavioral gains from pre to post on the self-assessment?

Methods: This study uses data from 1,044 participants who have completed the self-assessment, across eight states and one tribal nation, between August 2020 and February 2022. Each characteristic/competency was analyzed independently using an eleven-point Likert scale (0-strongly disagree to 10- strongly agree) comprised of three to four items that are utilized to assess each training characteristic/competency. The Cronbach’s alpha was calculated at baseline to measure the internal reliability of the self-assessment. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare participants’ scores from baseline to 90 days after completing the classroom-based training to see if participants’ scores significantly changed between the two time points.

Results:

Alphas for the 14 characteristics ranged from a low of .72 (adaptability/flexibility) to a high of .89 (being relationally oriented). Alphas for the five competencies included a low of .73 (trauma informed parenting) to a high of .82 (child development).

On average participants rated themselves in the 7 or 8 scoring range which indicates they have some competency in that area but are not confident that they have the full range of skills. No characteristic fell below an average score of 7. The characteristic with the lowest average score for all participants combined was “attunement” (M=7.1, SD=1.0). The highest rated characteristic was “relationally oriented” (M=9.2, SD=0.9).

On average participants rated themselves in the 7 or 8 scoring range which indicates they have some competency in that area but are not confident that they have the full range of skills. No characteristic fell below an average score of 7. The characteristic with the lowest average score for all participants combined was “attunement” (M=7.8, SD=0.9). The highest rated characteristics were “trustworthiness” (M=9.4, SD=0.8), “relationally oriented” (M=9.4, SD=0.9), and “realistic” (M=9.4, SD=0.9)

Participants’ scores from baseline to 90 days after completing the classroom training had statistically significant improvements for all characteristics (p< .001).

Conclusions and Implications: Overall, the results from the self-assessment scores indicate that the measure has strong reliability and validity. Participants also experienced statistically significant improvements in all the characteristics and competencies taught in the training. This curriculum will be made available free and open access in June of 2022 for free for states, tribes, and territories to use in preparing foster, kinship, and adoptive caregivers for their roles.