CORE Teen: Impact of an Adolescent-Focused Parent Training Curriculum on Foster Parent Perceptions of Preparedness to Foster Teens

This exploratory, qualitative study evaluated the impact of the Critical Ongoing Resource Family Education Teen Edition (CORE-Teen) post-licensure foster parent training curriculum designed to support foster/kinship caregivers caring for youth ages 12–20 years in the foster care system. A pilot study of the curriculum was implemented in three states (Florida, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee). Five semi-structured focus groups (three groups received CORE Teen training and the other two did not) were conducted with a total of 61 foster parents to explore the differences in parenting knowledge and practices among foster parents trained in CORE Teen versus those who were not. A thematic content analysis of the transcripts from the focus groups revealed three themes: (1) understanding what is considered normal teen behavior; (2) understanding and managing teen trauma and mental health; and (3) recommendations for building foster parents’ skills to prepare for their role. Overall, CORE Teen-trained foster/kinship caregivers seemed to have deeper insight into normal teen behaviors, as well as how trauma and mental health challenges can underlie challenging behaviors. CORE Teen foster/kinship caregivers also seemed more satisfied with the training they had received to prepare them for caring for teens. The CORE Teen training curriculum offers promise for building the unique skills that foster/kinship caregivers need in order to effectively care for older youth in the foster care system.