Abstract
As U.S. policy and practice further constrains the prevalence of residential treatment for youth with emotional and behavior challenges, treatment foster care (TFC) placements are expected to expand and serve challenging youth who were previously receiving group care placement. Treatment foster parents play an essential role in the delivery of TFC and its potential to be a transformative and healing environment for youth. Using qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews from 23 experts in TFC practice as well as more general child welfare training and implementation science, this paper seeks to build knowledge around the training and support needs of TFC parents from the perspectives of TFC experts. Findings suggest the importance of TFC parents viewing themselves as treatment providers and not just parents. They need to have competencies specific to working as a member of a treatment team, knowledge of public systems, and skills to manage youth challenging behaviors. Best practices in equipping TFC parents should follow adult learning principles that focus on experiential learning with peer support and ongoing coaching or reinforcement.
Highlights
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Treatment foster care (TFC) parents are more than just caregivers, they are also essential treatment providers.
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TFC parents need behavioral management skills and behavioral health competencies.
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TFC parent trainings should include experiential learning, peer support, and coaching.
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Acknowledgements
The National Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Child Welfare (NCEBPCW) is operated by the University of Maryland, School of Social Work and is made possible by grant number 90CT7001 from the Children’s Bureau. The contents of this paper/presentation are solely the responsibility of the NCEBPCW and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children & Families, or the US Department of Health and Human Services. The authors would like to thank the following child welfare and training and knowledge transfer experts who contributed to this paper: Lucy Berliner, Ken Berrick, Laura Boyd, Paul Brylske, Patti Chamberlain, Irene Clements, Melissa Devlin, Shannon Dorsey, Bob Ennis, Elizabeth Farmer, Maria Jose Horen, Angela Jachelski, Ellen Kahn, John Landsverk, Wendy Lane, Robin Leake, Kyla Liggett-Creel, Kantahyanee Murray, Maureen Murray, Judith Schagrin, Mike Stempkovski, Jaden Webb, and Lee White. More information about Partnering for Success can be found at: www.institute.umaryland.edu.
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Lee, B.R., Phillips, D.R., Steward, R.K. et al. Equipping TFC Parents as Treatment Providers: Findings from Expert Interviews. J Child Fam Stud 30, 870–880 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01808-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01808-z