Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Foster parents are tasked with creating a safe and stable environment for the youth while also trying to parent and address challenging behaviors (Elgar, Mills, McGrath, Waschbusch, & Brownridge, 2007). Although these behaviors can also be found in youth in the general population, they are more common among foster youth (Van Holen & Vanschoonlandt, 2017). This mixed-methods study involved using an Internet questionnaire to measure influential factors of parenting (i.e. stress, satisfaction, involvement) and the qualitative questions explored foster parents’ experiences with behaviors and which parenting strategies have been helpful and non-helpful. The quantitative results of this study concluded that involvement, use of positive parenting, and consistent use of monitoring strategies were all associated with lower levels of stress. Additionally, stress was negatively associated with foster parents’ intent to continue fostering. Results of this study indicated that aggression, tantrums, violence, self-harm, and defiance were the most commonly reported challenging behaviors. Helpful discipline strategies included time-in, earning or removing privileges, and implementing clear communication; and non-helpful discipline included corporal punishment, time-out, and yelling. While the findings were expected, the recommended improvements for foster care to compensate for these challenges include adequate training, more agency support, and group/familial/individual therapy.
Author: Tamarah Taylor
Language: English
Topic: Child Welfare and Adoption
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2804238818