CompletedInterventional

Improving the wellbeing of children in care through a group intervention for foster carers

Children in foster care often face emotional and behavioural challenges due to difficult early experiences. Foster and kinship carers provide crucial love and stability, but many feel they do not get enough guidance or support. This UK study tests a new group course called the Reflective Fostering Programme. It aims to help carers better understand their own feelings and the thoughts behind a child’s behaviour. Carers looking after a child aged 4 to 13 are put into one of two groups by chance: one group receives their standard support, while the other takes part in 10 group sessions alongside their usual support. Over 12 months, carers complete online surveys to track how they and their child are doing. The goal is to see if this programme helps placements stay stable, reduces stress, and boosts children's mental wellbeing.

At a glance

Status

Completed

Sponsor

University of Hertfordshire

Enrolment target

720

Start

01 Feb 2021

Estimated completion

30 Sep 2023

Mental health

What is this study about?

Growing up in foster care can be tough, and many children have complex emotional or behavioural needs linked to past trauma or disruption. Foster carers and kinship carers (family members raising a child) do an amazing job providing safe, loving homes. Even so, caring for a vulnerable child can be challenging. When carers do not get enough support, placements can struggle or even break down, which causes further distress for the child.

To help, researchers in the UK have developed the Reflective Fostering Programme. This is a supportive course designed to give carers practical tools and emotional insight. Instead of simply managing difficult behaviour, it encourages carers to think about what a child might be feeling deep down. It also helps carers notice their own emotional reactions so they can respond calmly and build stronger, more trusting bonds with the children in their care.

This study compares how carers get on with this extra support compared to standard local authority support alone. By tracking carers and children over a full year, the research team hopes to learn whether the course truly improves family life. If successful, the programme could be rolled out more widely across the UK to help many more foster families flourish.

Key takeaways

The study tests a 10-session group course designed to support foster and kinship carers.
It is open to carers looking after children aged 4 to 13 in medium- to long-term placements.
Carers are randomly chosen to receive either standard support or standard support plus the programme.
Taking part involves filling in three sets of online surveys over a 12-month period.
Joining is voluntary, completely free, and will not affect the usual support you receive.

Who may be eligible?

This study is open to local authority foster carers and kinship carers (connected carers) in the UK who are currently looking after a child aged between 4 and 13. The child must have lived with you for at least four weeks, and the current plan should be for them to stay with you for at least another four months. This ensures the study focuses on medium- to long-term care rather than short emergency stays.

You can still take part if you care for more than one child, or if the child has additional needs such as autism or developmental delays. Families receiving other forms of counselling or mental health support are also very welcome to join, as this study is not meant to replace existing care.

To participate, carers need enough English to take part in group discussions and work with local services, though support is available if you find reading or filling in forms difficult.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

I am an approved local authority foster carer or kinship carer.
I currently care for a child aged between 4 and 13 years old.
The child has lived with me for at least 4 weeks.
The care plan is for the child to stay with me for at least another 4 months.
I am comfortable taking part in group discussions in English.

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

Taking part in the study lasts for about 12 months in total. After an introductory chat where you can ask questions, you sign a consent form online. You are then placed into one of two groups by chance (like flipping a coin). One group receives standard foster care support. The other group receives standard support plus the Reflective Fostering Programme.

If you are placed in the programme group, you will join 10 group sessions over about 12 weeks. Each session lasts two to three hours and is run by a trained social worker and an experienced foster carer, with 6 to 10 carers in each group. There are no medical treatments, drugs, or physical check-ups involved.

All carers, regardless of their group, will fill in short online questionnaires about themselves and their child at the start, at 4 months, and at 12 months. Help is available to read through the questions if needed. A small number of carers will also be invited to do an informal interview at the end to share their thoughts on the experience.

Potential risks and benefits

Potential benefits include learning new ways to understand your foster child's behaviour, feeling more confident, and meeting other carers who share similar challenges. Even if you do not get into the programme group, your answers will help shape better support for foster families across the UK in the future. There are no physical risks, but thinking about your caregiving experiences and completing surveys can sometimes bring up difficult or upsetting feelings. Taking part is completely voluntary. You are free to leave the study at any time without giving a reason, and doing so will not affect your fostering role, your status with your local authority, or any support you normally receive.

Locations (13)

Kent County Council
Approximate
Maidstone, England
Hertfordshire County Council
Approximate
Hertford, England
Lancashire County Council
Approximate
Preston, England
London Borough of Hackney
Approximate
London, England
London Borough of Barnet
Approximate
Whetstone, England
Camden Council
Unverified
London, England
Haringey Council
Unverified
Wood Green, England
London Borough of Enfield
Unverified
Enfield, England
Islington Council
Unverified
London, England
Bristol City Council
Unverified
Bristol, England
Devon County Council
Unverified
Exeter, England
North Tyneside Council
Unverified
Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Common questions

Can I choose whether I get into the Reflective Fostering group?

No. A computer puts carers into groups by chance. This makes the study fair and allows researchers to accurately compare how well the programme works against standard support.

Will my fostered child have to attend any sessions or answer questions?

No. The group sessions and questionnaires are only for you as the carer. Your child will not need to attend meetings or complete research tasks.

Does this study involve any medication or medical tests?

No. This is a talking and learning support study. There are no medicines, clinic tests, or physical examinations involved.

What happens if our placement ends early during the study?

You should let the research team know. You can usually choose whether you still wish to fill in the follow-up surveys or step away from the study entirely.

Will taking part affect my relationship with my fostering agency?

No. Your participation is completely separate from your fostering assessments, and your personal survey answers are kept confidential from your supervising social worker.

How to find out more

Nick Midgley

Nicholas.midgley@ucl.ac.uk +44 (0)7812 138637 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.