The Journal of Foster Care

Playing Away the Trauma

Sebastian Del Corral Winder — 2023-10-30

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the practice of telehealth has increased dramatically around the U.S. allowing a greater accessibility of services for some families. However, telehealth has brought significant challenges to clinicians who practice play therapy with young children. Caregivers’ need for fast solutions, children’s limited attention to the screen, and clinicians’ felt distance have been a few of the greatest challenges experienced by the authors. This article explores these challenges while also discussing cultural and contextual considerations during psychological treatment of children using telehealth. The authors discuss two case examples referred from child welfare due to the young children experiencing physical and emotional trauma. The authors utilized a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive relationship framework by incorporating the young children’s respective caregivers in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) treatment to facilitate the children’s exploration and resolution of their traumatic experiences while in foster care. The psychotherapeutic relationship with the dyad and the holding space served as primary vehicles to help young children explore and resolve their internal conflicts. By discussing play themes, symbolisms, cultural factors, and the child-caregiver relationship, the authors explore treatment progress and ways to overcome challenging situations brought by the pandemic and the children’s own trauma.

"Becoming the Best Versions of Ourselves”

Leah Wasburn-Moses — 2023-10-30

Because of the chronically poor outcomes among youth aging out of the foster care system, studies in this area often adapt a deficit model. However, research shows that emancipating youth also display significant strengths and strong desires for their futures. Using Hedenstrom’s (2021) framework on successful aging out, we present results of in-depth interviews of 14 young adults in one state who recently aged out of foster care. Findings showed multiple strengths and needs in this population, including the ability to find support and a desire to serve others despite limited time and resources. Implications for those involved in the foster care system are presented.

Using Play to Cultivate Resilience Within Resource Families

Andrea Poe — 2023-11-06

The child welfare system has struggled to meet the mental health needs of displaced youth and parents who accept the role of fostering, contributing to failed placements and a continued shortage in resource parents. A lack of quantitative evidence to support occupational therapy’s legitimate role in addressing mental health in this setting inhibits progress in improving a struggling system. A quasi-experimental pilot study was completed to ascertain the potential for a novel occupational therapy community program to improve placement outcomes. A single group of five resource parents completed a pretest and posttest to determine if the program succeeded in decreasing their parenting stress levels and increasing factors of resilience within their families. The results showed a decrease in stress levels between the pretest and posttest for the Difficult Child subscale scores, t(4) = -1.82, p = .07, d = -0.82, CI 95% [-∞, 0.09], in addition to the Total Stress scores, t(4) = -1.68 , p = .08, d = -0.75, CI 95% [-∞, 0.13], of the Parenting Stress Index, Fourth Edition Short Form. A significant increase in self-reported confidence regarding parents’ ability to engage in meaningful activities with their children, t(4) = 2.14 , p = .05, d = 0.96, CI 95% [0.002, ∞], and their positive reactions to the program indicate strong potential for a similar occupational therapy program to increase resilience factors within foster families.

Collective Wisdom from Kentucky's Foster Parents

Alecia Hatfield — 2023-11-07

Foster parents serve an integral role in the lives of children every day. In this article, qualitative data from a statewide sample of foster parents from both public and private agencies offered insight into the reasons that they may leave the agency, barriers they reported as influencing the timely permanency of children in care, ideas for the retention of foster parents, and specific requests for additional training. A thematic analysis revealed the inability to continue, various dissatisfactions, and the related emotional impact as key factors that would result in their positions. Foster parents identified challenges with state’s child welfare workers and the justice system as the main barriers that are keeping children in care from achieving timely permanency. Additionally, they requested increased services and support, and they gave examples of additional trainings that would improve their effectiveness as foster parents (e.g., behavior management skills and self-care techniques). The present provides a thorough exploration of these important areas, as foster parents share their wisdom and contribute potential solutions to issues that have long been faced by the child welfare system. Limitations and conclusions are discussed.