ORCID Identifier(s)

0000-0001-6725-2999

Graduation Semester and Year

2022

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work

Department

Social Work

First Advisor

Regina T Praetorius

Abstract

This three-article, mixed-methods dissertation looked at the nature of U.S. foster parent stress and resilience both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first article employed a Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis (QIMS) approach to answer the question, “What do foster parents tell us about their greatest points of stress in the foster care system?” Foster parent voices (n=572) from twenty-one existing qualitative articles were analyzed until themes emerged. The second article aimed to fill a gap in the literature with a deeper understanding of foster parents’ lived experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with n=20 foster parents across one Southern U.S. state. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed utilizing a phenomenological approach until themes emerged. All themes from the first two articles are described in detail with supporting quotations and any corresponding subthemes. The third article included a quantitative analysis of foster parent stress utilizing a sample of n=136 foster parents across the Southern state. A multiple linear regression was calculated to measure the association of participants’ parental stress score (PSS) with protective factors (PAPF), intolerance of uncertainty (IUS-12), level of COVID-19 stress, and single caregiver status, and a significant regression equation was found. Implications for practice, policy, and future research are discussed for each article and the overall dissertation.

Keywords

Child welfare, Foster care, Foster parents, Foster parenting, COVID-19 pandemic, Stress and resilience

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Work

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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