Florida foster parent and child welfare worker perceptions of child maltreatment investigations of foster parents

Foster parents provide care to children who have experienced high levels of adversity or vulnerability and may experience challenges beyond that of typical parents. The aim of this study was to explore foster parents’ and child welfare workers’ perspectives of foster parent maltreatment investigations with emphasis on comparing the perceived impact of investigation on foster family retention. This cross-sectional sample included retrospective analyses from an administrative survey that included a total of 1249 foster parents and child welfare workers in the state of Florida. Findings indicated that both groups perceive that foster parents will likely face an allegation, with child welfare workers reporting a slightly higher number of allegations than foster parents. However, foster parents reported a greater impact of allegations on the retention of foster parents. Findings from this study provide an incremental contribution to understanding the perceptions of foster parents and case workers on allegations, as well as highlight areas for future research and evaluation. Such findings assist in understanding the needs of foster parents in training and support around allegations and investigations in ways that may assist with retention rates.