Foster parents in Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care: How do they deal with implementing standardized treatment components?

Abstract

This article focuses upon 28 Swedish foster parents and their experience of working in a manual-based treatment program – Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) – focusing on treating troubled youth. Using interviews and questionnaires, the study addresses how foster parents perceive the components and core terms specific to MTFC. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. Interestingly, 80% of the foster parents as a group rated all the program components the highest possible positive value. From the qualitative analysis a difference appeared between the foster parents about the view on foster parenthood and the attitudes towards the program. One group perceived themselves as professionals and accepted the program. The second group, although seeing themselves as professionals found it difficult to accept the program. The third group viewed foster parenthood as a ‘way of life’. The highlight of this study is the overwhelmingly positive attitude towards the MTFC program manual. It appears that 24-hours a day access to “treatment tools” and a treatment team, are very important inputs for the satisfaction of foster parents.