Foster care study calls for better training, support

A new pilot study by University of Cincinnati researchers finds that foster caregivers across the U.S. need more accessible, ongoing and community-driven training.

Government data shows that from 2014-23, the average number of kids in foster care in the U.S. was 407,576, about half of whom were placed in licensed foster homes. The remainder of foster kids often live in what is known as kinship care, meaning with a relative or close family member.

While the number of foster care homes has been steadily declining, those who already foster say they need more education, training and social support, according to UC researchers.          

The study, published in the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, was led by Catelyn Smeyne, who earned her doctorate in psychology at UC while conducting this research. “Foster and kinship caregivers take on one of the most vital and demanding roles in our society, yet too often they are asked to do it without the tools they need,” Smeyne says.

The research revealed that caregivers seek sustainable learning, consistent support and meaningful connection with peers and experts.

“Foster and kinship caregivers reported that this meaningful caretaking role is typically done in a vacuum,” says Smeyne. “They craved social support, both from [others] with similar experiences and from child welfare staff and experts in the field.”

Smeyne added that training efforts for caregivers of vulnerable children should be “meaningful, ongoing and supplemented with follow-up support.”

“It was clear that caregivers who participated in this research desired more than a one-time training opportunity,” Smeyne says. “They wanted access to ongoing sources of knowledge and a sustainable community to continually support them in their demanding roles.”

Accessibility

Co-author Carlie Trott, PhD, UC assistant professor of psychology, emphasized the importance of accessibility in translating research findings into practice.

“When empirical research generates insight into trauma-informed best practices, foster and kinship caregivers should be first in line to receive this information in an accessible way,” Trott says.

Accessibility, Trott adds, means not only ensuring that research findings are understood by caregivers, but also that the information is delivered in an accessible manner that fits into caregivers’ busy lives. “Virtual training can improve accessibility.”

Community collaboration

The study, both say, also underscores the importance of community-engaged, strengths-based research that draws directly from the lived experiences of caregivers and youth within the child welfare system.

“Real change begins when research is done with communities, not to them,” Smeyne says. “By honoring the wisdom of caregivers and youth, and translating that knowledge into clear, practical tools, we can create authentic, effective solutions that empower caregivers to provide the kind of support that helps children heal and flourish.”

Community collaboration was essential to this work, said Julie Cooper, president of Trauma Free World, a nonprofit organization equipping adults with skills to transform lives, workplaces and communities. Cooper was one of the study’s partners, and Smeyne now serves the organization as the research director.

Smeyne emphasized that being able to conduct additional research while at UC during her graduate studies was beneficial to her professional development. “It gave me the confidence I needed to successfully pursue independent research in a community [or] nonprofit setting, allowing me to learn invaluable lessons that the thesis and dissertation requirements may not have taught me.”  

The research was made possible, Cooper says, “because our community came together  through a collaboration between UC, Trauma Free World, local foster care agencies and financial support from the James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Foundation.”  

That kind of collaboration, she says, “is how real change happens for children and families.”