Summary Report - Research Ethics - Early Stage Evaluation of Fostering Connections

Sep 2, 2026

Research into enhancing foster carers’ capacity focuses on reducing placement instability, especially placement breakdown and its effects on children and foster families. The study responds to a perceived gap in Ireland’s foster carer training by designing, developing and evaluating a trauma-informed psychoeducational intervention called Fostering Connections. It used narrative literature review and a pre-intervention qualitative assessment, then proceeded through feasibility review and an early-stage evaluation combining quasi-experimental and post-intervention qualitative findings using triangulation. Preliminary results indicate promising potential to improve child regulation and reduce peer problems, supporting placement stability through better trauma-informed care.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResumes

FormatDOCX

Pages34

Reading Time12 min

AccessFree to download

Research Ethics Summary Report

Study Background and Purpose

Development Stage and Pre-Intervention Work

Feasibility and Evaluation Stage

Stakeholder Review and Early Findings

Summary Report – Research Ethics First name: Maria Last name: Lotty Name of course: PhD in Social Work, University College Cork Year submitted: 2019 Title of research study: Enhancing Foster Carers’ capacity to promote placement stability: Initial development and early stage evaluation of Fostering Connections: The Trauma-informed Foster Care Programme. Abstract: The research was motivated by a desire to make a contribution to reducing placement instability, particularly placement breakdown owing to its impact on children and the families who foster. The research emerged from a perceived gap in the training provision for foster carers in Ireland. The purpose of the research was to design, develop and evaluate a psychoeducational intervention for foster carers, that enhanced their capacity to provide children with trauma-informed care. The Development Stage involved completion of a narrative literature review of the effects of current trauma-informed care interventions for foster carers. It also involved a pre-intervention qualitative study that assessed the current practice climate and support for implementation of this intervention. The narrative review suggested that trauma-informed care could inform foster carers’ responses when caring for children who have experienced trauma. Participants in the pre-intervention study expressed the need for such a programme and a willingness to support its implementation in the current context of foster care in Ireland. A mixed method approach was used to synthesise the results of the narrative review and pre-intervention study to develop the group-based intervention, Fostering Connections. The Feasibility Stage involved a programme review by the local Fostering Team. At Evaluation Stage, a quasi-experimental study with a control group and a post-intervention qualitative study were completed. These two studies were combined using a triangulated analytical strategy to complete an early stage evaluation. A Stakeholder Group was established at the outset of this research to provide expert review to the research process. Preliminary evidence is promising and suggests that Fostering Connections may be an effective intervention for increasing foster carers’ capacity to provide children with trauma-informed care and in turn, is associated with improvement in child regulation and reduce peer problems over time. The study concludes that this intervention is likely to make a significant contribution to the training provision for foster carers in Ireland, supporting their capacity to care for children with trauma-related difficulties. The intervention is likely to, in turn, reduce child difficulties and thus, support placement stability. Email address: maria.lotty@tusla.ie List of References: Aarons, G. A., James, S., Monn, A. R., Raghavan, R., Wells, R. S., & Leslie, L. K. (2010). Behavior problems and placement change in a national child welfare sample: A prospective study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 49(1), 70-80. ADDIN EN.REFLIST Aarons, G. A., Green, A. E., Willging, C. E., Ehrhart, M. G., Roesch, S. C., Hecht, D. B., & Chaffin, M. J. (2014). Mixed-method study of a conceptual model of evidence-based intervention sustainment across multiple public-sector service settings. Implementation Science, 9(1), 183. Adams, E., Hassett, A. R., & Lumsden, V. (2018). What do we know about the impact of stress on foster carers and contributing factors? Adoption & Fostering, 42(4), 338-353. Adkins, T., Luyten, P., & Fonagy, P. (2018). Development and preliminary evaluation of Family Minds: A mentalization-based psychoeducation program for foster parents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1-14. Agosti, J., Conradi, L., Halladay Goldman, J., & Langan, H. (2013). Using Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice to Improve Placement Stability Breakthrough Series Collaborative: Promising Practices and Lessons Learned. National Center for

FAQs

What problem does the research address?

The research targets placement instability, particularly placement breakdown, due to its negative impact on children and foster families.

What intervention was developed and evaluated?

The study designed and evaluated the psychoeducational, trauma-informed foster care programme called Fostering Connections.

How was the research conducted across stages?

It included a narrative literature review and a pre-intervention qualitative study, followed by a feasibility programme review and an early-stage evaluation combining quasi-experimental and post-intervention qualitative studies with triangulated analysis.

Sep 2, 2026

Upload by Clementine