NFPA/TRI Foster Parent Survey

Dear Foster Parents,
Youth-to-foster parent matching is being talked about as a successful way to minimize placement disruptions, but we know very little about foster parent experiences with adolescents with mental health problems and virtually nothing about their experiences with adolescents with alcohol and other drug problems. This is a real problem since so many of our youth struggle with mental health and alcohol and other drug problems and it is the foster families that are expected to care for them. We are working to change this.

The National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) is working with the Treatment Research Institute (TRI) to conduct a national survey of foster parents’ views on adolescent alcohol and other drug use. As a member or supporter of NFPA, we would like you to answer some questions about adolescent alcohol and other drug use and problems. You don’t have to take part in this study.The TRI is an independent research group. TRI is not connected to the NFPA. About 500 foster parents will answer the questions in this survey.



WHO CAN TAKE PART IN THIS?

In order to take part, you must:

• Be a licensed foster/resource parent.
• Currently foster or have fostered in the past an adolescent (aged 12-18).
• Be the primary caregiver to foster children in your home

You cannot be in this study if:

• You do not speak, read, or write English.
• You have only been a kinship care foster/resource parent – that is you have never fostered a child who was not a relative.
• You have never fostered an adolescent (aged 12-18).

If you are eligible to take part in this, you will answer questions on the computer (i.e., complete an online survey) that will take about 30-45 minutes. When you complete the survey, we will send you a check for $35 which you will receive in 2-3 weeks. If you have time now and you won’t have many interruptions, please click on this link to get started: http://fosteringchildrensurvey.com.

If you want to answer the questions but you do not have the time right now, please make time to fill out the survey in the next 30 days. You can come back to this email and click on this link: http://fosteringchildrensurvey.com.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at: okaynak@tresearch.org. We appreciate your time and hope that you will complete the survey. Your answers could help foster parents in the future because we want to use the information to make the system better for kids who use drugs or alcohol and for the people who take care of them.

Best,
Övgü Kaynak, PhD
Associate Research Scientist, Parents Translational Research Center
Treatment Research Institute