Information needs of current and prospective foster caregivers: a content analysis of Reddit posts

ABSTRACT

Foster caring, for both foster and kinship caregivers, can be a challenging and rewarding endeavor. Both prospective and current foster carers have information needs. This article explores the concerns expressed in an open forum social media site (Reddit) by current and prospective foster caregivers. The study examines posts over a three-month span in 2021 and identifies nine key themes of users. Chi-Square analysis is combined with content analysis to better understand the differing needs of active foster caregivers and those who are considering fostering in the future. Prospective foster caregivers want to know about requirements, guidelines, and basic information before making any commitment to an agency. Current foster care providers frequently seek information about how best to help the child in their care and parenting issues. Suggestions are made relative to potential foster parent training improvements and support that might address some of the themes identified.

KEYWORDS:

• Foster parent
• kinship caregiver
• prospective foster parent
• foster care needs
• foster parent training
• foster caregiver

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ethan Engelhardt

Ethan Engelhardt is now a PhD student at the University of Kentucky. He is Assistant Professor of Social Work at Asbury University.

David Royse

David Royse is a Professor in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. He has published in numerous journals and is the author of several college textbooks.