Conflicted Caregiving: Experiences of Foster Parents and Agency Staff

Introduction & Background Among the 368,530 children placed in foster care in 2022, 44% were living with foster parents (US DHHS, 2023). Though serving a vital role, studies describe enduring challenges to retaining foster parents. In one of the largest studies, the median length of service was less than one year, with 75% of foster parents quitting by 2-years (Wulczyn et al., 2018). While foster parents may quit for a variety of reasons, a survey of foster parents found that 28% reported quitting because of negative experiences with their licensing agency (Ahn et al., 2017). Limited attention has been given to agency-dynamics or ways that licensing agencies support caregiving roles that have become less altruistic over time (Testa & Rollick, 1999). Drawing from interviews of foster parents and private agency staff, this study asks: (1) How do foster parents view the experience of fostering? (2) How do agency staff view fostering? (3) How do views align and what gaps might exist?

Methods This study used data previously collected from foster parents and staff a large private licensing agency in a midwestern state. In that study, names and contact information of foster parents who took part in an agency support program for foster parents (n=189) and private agency staff (N = 13) were recruited. A total of 33 foster parents and 11 agency staff agreed to participate. Semi-structured interviews, lasting between 45 and 90 minutes, were conducted by phone. The first half of these interviews asked questions about views of fostering and roles, perspectives on training, and barriers and facilitators of the work. A three-step process for identifying themes was applied by two researchers: (1) all study materials were reviewed, (2) open codes were identified and finalized in a codebook, and (3) themes and subthemes were grouped and displayed together (Braun & Clark, 2006).

Results Results from interviews suggest a sense of being conflicted. Foster parents reported the experience of fostering was “great” and “sad,” and “rewarding” and “overwhelming.” These descriptions were labeled as ‘conflicted caregiving,’ a type of caregiving that brings unexpected uncertainties and tensions. The analysis identified three experiences contributing to ‘conflicted caregiving’: (1) Disconnections: foster parents said they were motivated to foster for a variety of reasons, but agency staff did not convey clear understanding of who they were serving; (2) Frustrations: the experience of fostering a child could be rewarding, but navigating agency dynamics could be disempowering; and (3) Mistrust: foster parents navigated caregiving stressors on their own and without clear agency support. Part of the problem was that the licensing process mirrored the process designed for adoptions two decades earlier.

Discussion & Implications Findings describe the complexity of fostering and identify critical questions concerning disconnects between foster parents and agencies. Our discussion explores the wisdom of agency structures that leave foster parents to navigate complex situations on their own and offers suggestions for rethinking the structure and support needed to retain a vital resource.