Evaluating trauma-informed training for foster parents – A controlled pilot study of the resource parent curriculum in Sweden

Abstract

Background and aimsTraumatic experiences and mental illness are frequent among children placed in out-of-home care. Foster parents report that trauma-informed psychoeducation increases their knowledge and parental efficacy, but the evidence-base of offered interventions is still scarce and weak. The present study is a pilot evaluation of a trauma-informed psychoeducation for foster parents: Resource Parent Curriculum (RPC) in Sweden.Participants and methodsThe participants were foster parents in Sweden, with at least one child (3–16 years old) placed with them. Using a quasi-experimental design, we investigated the effect of the psychoeducation on parenting efficacy, tolerance for the child's behavior and trauma-informed parenting, and on the foster parents’ perceptions of their children's behavior. Participants (N = 44) were divided into an experimental (n = 24) and a control (n = 20) group and answered questions on three occasions: before, immediately after, and two months after completed education. Mixed Model analysis was carried out on data from 21 participants who completed all measurement points. Results and conclusionThe psychoeducation had an effect, assessed immediately after training completion, on foster parents' trauma-informed parenting behaviors (p = 0.027) and parenting efficacy (p = 0.040), but these effects diminished rapidly. No effect on perceived child behavior was observed. Thus, RPC affects foster parents’ parenting attitudes positively, but may not be sufficient for this effect to be sustained over time and reliably translate into trauma-informed parental behaviors and related positive child outcomes.