Fostering children with disabilities: A concept map of parent needs

A random sample of licensed foster parents caring for children with disabilities in a major Canadian city was asked “what do you need to be a good foster parent to a child with a disability?” A total of 83 unique responses were obtained. These responses were grouped together by the foster parents. The groupings by foster parents were subjected to two statistical analyses, resulting in five concepts. The concepts included the personal characteristics of foster parents, financial supports, particular skills, a range of support systems as well as foster parent recognition of roles and responsibilities. The results were generally comparable to the literature with some exceptions. Directions for future research are discussed.