Supporting Resilience in Foster Families: A Model for Program Design that Supports Recruitment, Retention, and Satisfaction of Foster Families Who Care for Infants with Prenatal Substance Exposure

As the health, social, and developmental needs of infants in foster care become more complex, foster families are challenged to develop specialized knowledge to effectively address these needs. The goal of this qualitative research study was to identify the process of becoming a foster family and providing family foster caregiving within the context of caring for infants with prenatal drug and alcohol exposure. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to study foster families (including mothers, fathers, and birth and adoptive children) who specialized in caring for infants within a Canadian provincial child welfare system. This article describes an infant foster care model, applies resilience theory to the model, and provides recommendations for program development for foster families that specialize in the infant population.