ABSTRACT

In this chapter, we consider the unique role of foster parents. First, we provide an overview of the child welfare system broadly, including a brief history of how foster parenting has changed over time, a discussion of the key individuals involved in and served by the child welfare system (i.e., foster children, birth parents, child welfare agency caseworkers, and foster parents), and a consideration of relationships among these individuals. Second, we discuss attachment in the context of foster care, examining issues such as how infants form attachment relationships with foster parents and the characteristics of foster placements that support the formation of secure and organized attachment relationships. Third, we consider foster parent commitment, defined as a foster parent’s emotional investment in an enduring relationship with the foster child. After considering the challenging of commitment for foster parents (e.g., temporary nature of care, professional role of the foster parent, lack of biological relatedness), we discuss research examining predictors and outcomes associated with foster parent commitment. Fourth, we review several programs and practices designed to support effective parenting among foster parents, along with evidence for their efficacy in improving parenting and enhancing outcomes among foster children. Fifth, we discuss controversies in foster care, such as maltreatment perpetrated by foster parents and ethnic/racial disparities in child welfare involvement. Finally, we offer recommendations for future research and clinical and policy efforts that may help us understand and enhance the experience of foster parents and the vulnerable children they care for.