Foster parents are the largest group providing care for some of our most vulnerable children- those in the foster care system. In the course of caring for children who have experienced significant trauma, loss, and uncertainty, foster parents face unique stressors specific to their role. As a result, many leave fostering after only a short period. Though the need for licensed foster parents is high, relatively little is known about the factors that impact their ability to remain in their role, and even less is known about what impacts their well-being within it. The purpose of this study was to use a conceptual model grounded in social support theory to examine the impact that stress and support have on foster parent retention and well-being. Specifically, I investigated the relationships between stressors of fostering and parenting stress, and between parenting stress and two outcome variables: well-being and the intent to continue fostering. Additionally, I examined social support as a potential moderator, or buffer, of each of these relationships. The study utilized a cross-sectional, non-experimental design and web-based survey methodology with a sample of foster parents from one Michigan county (N = 139). In addition to descriptive and bivariate analysis, multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the identified research questions. Results indicated that there was no relationship between the total number of stressors reported by foster parents and their levels of parenting stress. However, parenting stress was significantly higher among foster parents who reported certain stressors: foster child behavior problems, difficulty obtaining services, and disagreement with a licensing rule or policy. A significant, negative relationship was found between parenting stress and well-being. Additionally, social support did moderate this relationship, suggesting that social support serves as a protective factor for foster parents experiencing parenting stress. No significant relationship was found between parenting stress and the intent to still be fostering in 18 months. However, parenting stress was a significant predictor of past thoughts about giving up fostering. This study contributes to existing literature by adding to the small (but growing) body of quantitative studies conducted with U.S. foster parent populations. Further, the study uses a conceptual framework grounded in social support theory to increase understanding related to the impact of stress and support on foster parent well-being and retention. Among other notable findings, it offers the first known evidence that social support serves in a buffering role for foster parents, protecting their well-being even in the presence of high parenting stress. This has several important implications for this population and the professionals and systems they encounter, including improved foster parent training, assessment, and mentoring. Future studies should be conducted with larger and more representative samples of foster parents, particularly in terms of gender and race. In addition, research dedicated to developing a multidimensional measure of social support specific to foster parents would be particularly valuable.
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