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

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EBP <strong>in</strong> <strong>Foster</strong> <strong>Parent</strong> Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> <strong>Support</strong>foster care placement <strong>in</strong> the same state. Because of the <strong>in</strong>tensity of these programs, goodmatch<strong>in</strong>g between foster <strong>and</strong> biological families is imperative.SFC may be one way for TFC providers to be more <strong>in</strong>volved with biological families.SFC may be an alternative to step-down <strong>and</strong> may help to alleviate some of the placement<strong>in</strong>stability <strong>and</strong> re-entry that TFC youth experience. More research on the efficacy of SFC iswarranted.Shared <strong>Parent</strong><strong>in</strong>gThe Shared <strong>Parent</strong><strong>in</strong>g program is an <strong>in</strong>novative model of foster care <strong>in</strong> which the role ofthe foster family gradually becomes one of an extended rather than a substitute family (L<strong>and</strong>y &Munro, 1998). In the Shared <strong>Parent</strong><strong>in</strong>g program the role of foster care families is to offersupport, advice, <strong>and</strong> guidance as a means of enhanc<strong>in</strong>g the parent<strong>in</strong>g skills of natural parents.Biological <strong>and</strong> foster families are <strong>in</strong>tended to work as a team with the family service <strong>and</strong> fostercare workers <strong>in</strong> order to develop <strong>and</strong> plan strategies to best meet the child <strong>and</strong> family needs.Although the child rema<strong>in</strong>s <strong>in</strong> a traditional foster care sett<strong>in</strong>g, on-go<strong>in</strong>g contact between the child<strong>and</strong> the biological families is encouraged at all times. Earlier forms of contact tend to occur <strong>in</strong>the foster home, with more of the child’s time spent <strong>in</strong> the biological family’s home later on <strong>in</strong>the program. Family <strong>in</strong>teractions are thought not only to benefit the child through reduc<strong>in</strong>ghis/her separation anxiety, but to provide foster parents with the opportunity to assist thebiological parents to transfer knowledge <strong>and</strong> skills to their own environment.The objectives of the Shared <strong>Parent</strong><strong>in</strong>g program are to: 1) reduce the number ofplacement breakdowns of children <strong>and</strong> to reduce time <strong>in</strong> foster care either by earlier return ofCenter for Advanced Studies <strong>in</strong> Child Welfare (CASCW)University of M<strong>in</strong>nesota School of Social WorkContact: Krist<strong>in</strong>e N. Piescher, Ph.D. kpiesche@umn.edu 104

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