Support needs of Aboriginal foster parents

The purpose of the study was to identify the support needs of Aboriginal foster parents. A total of 83 Aboriginal foster parents participated in over the phone interviews that included the question “What supports would be helpful to you?” Responses to the questions were sorted by the participants and the sorted data were analyzed using multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. Five clusters emerged from the responses to the question: 1) foster care system supports, 2) specialists, 3) education through sharing, 4) cultural and community supports, and 5) recreational resource support. The clusters were compared and contrasted with the available literature.