Document Type

Capstone

Abstract

This report includes a review of literature to support development of a workshop to teach strategies for building relationships between foster parents and the children in their care. A search of the literature included locating peer-reviewed, evidence-based literature demonstrating how behaviors exhibited by foster children can make relationship building with the foster parents difficult. Successful strategies from the literature was reviewed to find supporting evidence for creation of the workshop. The literature provided evidence that abused and neglected children demonstrate poor behaviors that will affect their development, contribute to attachment issues with family and peers, produce sensory deficits, and children will demonstrate difficulty with self-regulation. It was found when foster parents and foster children do not establish a strong relationship, the risk is higher for multiple placements for the child. Evidence suggest there are benefits for teaching strategies to enhance relationships in the foster care home through group parent trainings, with and without the foster child present. Participants completed a survey before and after the workshop was presented. Strategies found to be most beneficial based on the participant feedback were calming activities, role playing, break time cards, and ideas for starting open ended conversations with the children in their care. These strategies were provided to participants in a booklet they could reference. The report provides evidence and support for the involvement of occupational therapists to implement use of their knowledge with childhood trauma in the foster care community. Occupational therapy practitioners use meaningful activities such as play to promote physical and mental health and well-being (AOTA, 2015). It was found that through task analysis, occupational therapists can identify the factors that may be causing the poor behaviors in these children. They have the knowledge and skills to work with parents and children to improve successful performance in the home, school, and community (AOT A, 2015). Recommendations discussed were: • Occupational therapists can use knowledge of mental health, client-centered and evidence based practice, and clinical skills to enter the emerging practice of working with foster parents and the children they care for to improve relationship outcomes. • Application of the strategies identified in the literature can be implemented through playgroups and parent training in the foster care community.

Publication Date

2016

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