Individual vs. Group Training for Foster Parents: Efficiency Effectiveness Evaluations.

TLDR: Foster parents from 18 families received parent training in child rearing skills, utilizing a combination of behavioral and reflective (feeling focused) approaches, with suggestion for building these elements into the foster care system.

Abstract: Twenty-nine foster parents from 18 families received parent training in child rearing skills, utilizing a combination of behavioral and reflective (feeling focused) approaches. Half of the foster families were trained in a traditional group training format, while the other half were trained individually in their homes. Training times and individual contact of participants with trainers were nearly equal. At the completion of the 11 week training period, these parents improved significantly in parent attitude scores and knowledge and use of behavioral principles (reflected in decreases in foster child behavior problems). However, there were relatively few differences between group trained and home trained parents on these measures. Where the groups did differ significantly was in the parents' attendance rates, ratings of child behavior improvement, and in ratings of general satisfaction with the family functioning as a result of the training; all these measures favored the home trained parents. Further, at a six-month follow-up, these relative effects maintained themselves at significantly higher levels for the home trained parents. Consequently, issues related to parental satisfaction, reinforcement, and concomitant "professionalism" are addressed, with suggestion for building these elements into the foster care system.