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Keeping Foster Children Connected to Their Biological Parents: The Impact of Foster Parent Training and Support

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Abstract

A primary goal of the foster care system is to reunite foster children with their biological parents. Keeping foster children connected to their biological parents, through visiting and other forms of contact, is essential for reunification because it helps to reestablish and maintain family ties during out-of-home placement. Parent-child contact can also increase the child's well-being while in care. Although foster parents are expected to help foster children stay connected to their biological parents, their actual involvement in this process remains problematic. This study tests the hypothesis that agencies can promote foster parent involvement in the parent-child connection by providing foster parents with specialized training and ongoing support. The findings support the notion that training and support increases the involvement of foster parents in parent-child contact.

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Sanchirico, A., Jablonka, K. Keeping Foster Children Connected to Their Biological Parents: The Impact of Foster Parent Training and Support. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 17, 185–203 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007583813448

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