State Child Welfare Policy Guide

6.2 Investment in supports for foster families

A host of factors contribute to low foster family recruitment and retention rates, and a combination of strategies is necessary to reduce turnover and improve the quality of family foster care.  Turnover among foster parents is estimated at 30 to 50 percent per year in some places. [i]   Among the reasons foster parents cite are lack of agency and caseworker support, poor communication and treatment from child protection workers, difficulty with a child’s behavior, inadequate services for the children in their care, poor training, and caseworker turnover. [ii]    Illinois caseworkers attribute more than a quarter of all moves that children experience to the unwillingness or inability of foster caregivers to tolerate children’s emotional or behavioral problems. [iii]

While evidence regarding the effectiveness of many strategies is still underdeveloped, states are implementing a number of promising efforts to improve retention and recruitment of foster parents. For example, at least seven states provide respite care to either all foster parents or those caring for children with special needs (See Policy Area 1.4; Support for families, Respite and short-term crisis care). Connecticut and Oregon are among states that extend public health insurance programs to foster parents and their dependents. Iowa helps finance and support the Foster and Adoptive Parent Association, which assists in recruitment, support, and training its members. At least ten states offer some form of reduced liability or liability protection to foster parents, and a number of states offer training and peer support. [iv]

Policy Options: States can authorize and fund 1, 2, or 3 of the following supports and incentives for foster families:

·         respite services for foster parents

·         health insurance coverage for foster parents and their dependents

·         reduced liability or liability protection