Our studies directed towards foster parents and children in out-of-home care

In several controlled studies, we follow foster parents over time, and examine the short- and long-term effects of the psychoeducational training Trauma-Informed Care for foster parents (TMO-F).

We study, among other things, the foster parent's perceived parenting ability, knowledge of trauma-informed care and understanding of the child's behaviors, but also the potential long-term effects of the intervention on placement stability. We further carry out qualitative studies with a focus on foster parents' and social workers' experiences of trauma-informed care.

Importantly, we focus on the perspectives of foster children, through studies that examine their well-being and resilience, security and own views of life situation and development. The studies constitute participatory research, i.e. children and young people participate with their own voices and perspectives and also have an active role in the design and implementation of the research. We also examine resilience in the long term, for instance through a focus on parents who themselves were placed in foster care during their upbringing.