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Foster carers require high quality evidence-based psychoeducational programs to support them in the care of children with complex trauma-related difficulties. However, there is a lack of systematic development of such programs which may explain mixed results. This paper presents a detailed account of the development of a complex intervention. This program was developed to address a practice gap of evidenced-based foster care programs in the Irish context. It aims to improve foster carers' capacity to provide children with trauma-informed care and in turn improve emotional and behavioural difficulties. The framework of the Medical Research Council (MRC) for the development and evaluation of complex interventions was used to develop Fostering Connections: The Trauma-informed Foster Care Programme. A prior narrative review of the evidence base of similar programs was combined with a prior qualitative study. A Stakeholder Group provided expert feedback during the development process. The development of a promising psychoeducational programs for foster carers using the MRC framework is described.

Practitioners who undertake PhDs find themselves in a unique research position. They have a dual role of being a researcher, a doctoral candidate and also a practitioner. This paper describes my reflections on the journey of doing a PhD as an experienced social work practitioner. First, I describe my study which designed, developed and evaluated a psychoeducational intervention for foster carers in Ireland. Then, I discuss my reflections on my position in the research and how I theoretically framed my study in a pragmatist approach. I discuss the challenges I experienced as a practitioner and doctoral candidate. I conclude that my position as a practitioner and doctoral candidate was likely to have enhanced my research and the contribution it has made to social work practice.

This article presents the findings of a qualitative study of foster carersâ and multidisciplinary practitionersâ perceptions of foster carersâ needs and existing practices in foster care in Ireland. This study explored participantsâ perceptions of the development of a trauma-informed care (TIC) psychoeducational intervention for foster carers. From a purposive sample of foster carers and multidisciplinary practitioners, four focus groups were carried out. Thematic analysis revealed three themes: The Need for Trauma-informed Care, Development of Trauma-informed Care and Implementation of Trauma-informed Care. The findings have informed the development of a culturally sensitive TIC intervention for foster carers that reflect the needs and practices of the Irish foster care context.

This process study explored the experiences of foster carers and facilitators who participated in Fostering Connections: The Trauma-informed Foster Care Program which was implemented in 2017 in the national child welfare agency in Ireland. This intervention was a psychoeducational program for foster carers, developed in respond to a gap in training provision. Three focus groups were carried out with foster carers and facilitators that participated in the intervention. Thematic analysis revealed four overarching themes: 1. Facilitating the reflective process 2. Transformative learning, 3. The carer-child relationship and 4. Sustainability. Findings suggest that Fostering Connections is highly acceptable to Irish foster carers. They experienced a process of change during the programme that led to them providing children with trauma-informed care. This was associated with more positive child-carer interactions and reduced observed child difficulties. However, to successfully sustain the changes foster carers have made, this study suggests ongoing supports for foster carers, training for the wider stakeholders in foster care and supports for facilitators are needed.

Background: The need to improve the quality of foster care training has been highlighted and evidenced-based programs that aim to support foster carers in the care of children who have experienced trauma are warranted. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Fostering Connections program, a newly developed trauma-informed care program within the national child welfare agency in Ireland. Participants and setting: The study included 79 foster carers. The Fostering Connections group-based experiential intervention was delivered over a period of 6-weeks in a community-based setting to intervention group participants. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the results of the intervention group (n = 49), to a control group (n = 30,) who received usual care. Standardized assessment measures were used at baseline, 6-weeks on completion, 16 weeks and 15 months post-intervention. Foster carers’ knowledge of trauma-informed fostering, tolerance of misbehavior and fostering efficacy, and children’s emotional and behavioral difficulties were assessed. Results: Significant improvements were found in foster carers’ knowledge of trauma-informed fostering (p