Evidence-Based Practice in Foster Parent Training and Support ...

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EBP in Foster Parent Training and Supportto increases in positive discipline and decreases in harsh discipline for both biological and fosterparents (Linares, Montalto, Rosbruch, & Lee, 2006). This relationship was observed even aftercontrolling for child (e.g., age, gender, conduct problems) and parent (e.g., age, education ,ethnicity, and marital status) characteristics. Co-parenting is a service that may serve to supporttreatment foster parents of children with a goal of family reunification.Ecosystemic Treatment ModelThe ecosystematic treatment (visitation centered) program uses weekly, court-orderedsupervised visitation sessions to engage the foster care triad - birth family, foster family, andagency- in a collaborative effort to prevent foster care drift (Lee & Lynch, 1998). Birth parents,foster parents, the foster care worker, and a marital and family therapist meet in anticipation of eachmonth's visitation schedule to decide what would best serve family reunification for the stage ofmodel in which they currently reside. Stage 1 ensures that the child and biological family are insecure places; Stage 2 stabilizes the family; Stage 3 addresses the long-term needs of the family; andStage 4 refers the parents to appropriate classes and approaches them about using psycho-educationalinterventions. Social workers, marital and family therapists, and child psychologists are availableto the families.The Ecosystemic Treatment Model is rated as an emerging practice. Preliminary resultsof the program suggest that overcoming resistance by biological families, foster families, andagency staff is an ongoing struggle. The partnerships formed between foster families, biologicalfamilies, and the agency seemed to have positive outcomes for the children and their families,although formal evaluations have not yet been conducted. Once the efficacy of this program isCenter for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW)University of Minnesota School of Social WorkContact: Kristine N. Piescher, Ph.D. kpiesche@umn.edu 99
EBP in Foster Parent Training and Supportdemonstrated, the ecosystemic (visitation centered) treatment model may be a helpful support fortreatment foster care providers who wish to work in collaborative efforts with biologicalfamilies.Family Reunification Project (FRP)The goals of the Family Reunification Project are to: 1) provide a neutral, nurturing, andeducational environment for foster children, foster parents, and biological parents in whichregular visits can take place while the children are in foster home placement; 2) help biologicalparents and foster children maintain their relationships during the placement period; 3) assistbiological parents in improving their parenting skills; 4) assist foster parents in understandingtheir roles in the foster care system; 5) provide educational and supportive services to fosterparents in order to enhance the stability of foster home placements; 6) provide access, afterreunion, to those services necessary for the family to function appropriately; and 7) accumulatedata that could be used by agencies and courts in making reunification decisions. FRP servesfamilies with children ranging in age from birth through 12 years, in three modules:infant/toddler (zero to three years), preschool (three to five years) and school age (six to 12years).In FRP each visit lasts two hours. The first hour consists of a structured session (groupactivity facilitated by an art therapist) for the foster children and their biological parents. Duringthese visits, short (20-minute) individual family therapy sessions are conducted by the staffsocial worker. Each parent and child leaves the group to be observed as a family unit. Uponcompletion of this segment, the child is sent back to the group and the parent has a shortconference with the social worker to reinforce positive changes in his or her style of parenting.Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW)University of Minnesota School of Social WorkContact: Kristine N. Piescher, Ph.D. kpiesche@umn.edu 100
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