ABSTRACT
Foster parents are a vital part of the child welfare system and are asked to fulfill all the role responsibilities of natural parents. Each year, family foster care is being provided to an estimated 542,000 children who have been abused or neglected (Adoption and Foster5 Care Analysis and Reporting System [AFCARS], 2003). Two significant factors contribute to the challenge of foster care placement for social service agencies. On one hand, continuing high numbers of children are entering the child welfare system, whereas, on the10 other hand, the number of available foster care homes is declining. Although the total number of licensed family foster homes in the United States is not known, 38 states reported a total of 133,503 homes on the last day of 1998 (Child Welfare League of America15 [CWLA], 2000). When compared with the number of children in out-of-home placement, it becomes clear that the number of foster homes has been insufficient to accommodate the demand. Of the children in out-ofhome care, 19% were cared for in a group home or20 institutional placement, with the remaining children primarily being cared for in a nonrelative foster home or relative placement (AFCARS, 2003). Unfortunately, the lack of foster homes sometimes leads child welfare agencies to place the child in a more restrictive level of25 care than needed.
