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‘Now we are on the same page’ - experiences of foster parents and social workers participating in Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) training

Angelöw, Amanda LU orcid ; Abrahamsson, Cecilia ; Neander, Kerstin and Psouni, Elia LU orcid (2026) In Child Abuse & Neglect 173.
Abstract
Background
Achieving safe and stable placements is a key mission for the foster care system. Foster parents and social workers are part of a caregiving network with responsibility for the child and their wellbeing. Emotionally dysregulated children's behaviors may pose a challenge to the caregiving system. Trauma-informed care (TIC) interventions aim at enhancing caregivers' understanding of such behaviors and underlying emotions.

Objective
The present study explored the experiences of foster parents and social workers who attended TIC training together, with a special focus on their collaboration.

Method
Focus groups interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were carried out and analyzed with... (More)
Background
Achieving safe and stable placements is a key mission for the foster care system. Foster parents and social workers are part of a caregiving network with responsibility for the child and their wellbeing. Emotionally dysregulated children's behaviors may pose a challenge to the caregiving system. Trauma-informed care (TIC) interventions aim at enhancing caregivers' understanding of such behaviors and underlying emotions.

Objective
The present study explored the experiences of foster parents and social workers who attended TIC training together, with a special focus on their collaboration.

Method
Focus groups interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were carried out and analyzed with inductive thematic analysis.
Participants and settings
The study involved foster parents (n = 15) and social workers (n = 12) who had completed TIC training.

Results
Our analysis extracted three themes: First, Looking through the trauma lens highlighted how new TIC-related knowledge and useful metaphors can provide a deeper understanding of the potential effects on the child of adverse experiences. Second, Supporting collaboration illustrated ways in which TIC training enhances the collaboration between social workers and foster parents, reaching beyond their different roles and discourses, by shared language about the children and their difficulties. Finally, From gut feeling to awareness summarizes participants' disclosures of a shift towards more aware and sensitive interactions with the child.

Conclusions
Our results indicate that the TIC intervention may promote a change in the caregivers' representations of the child and themselves. We argue that this may be central for sustainable change. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Trauma-informed care, Foster care, foster parents, Caregiving representations, Social workers
in
Child Abuse & Neglect
volume
173
article number
107900
publisher
Pergamon Press Ltd.
external identifiers
  • pmid:41546920
  • scopus:105027566303
ISSN
1873-7757
DOI
10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107900
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8a284b82-40a9-436d-8277-8cc9d05acf47
date added to LUP
2026-01-20 10:27:29
date last changed
2026-03-18 10:25:05
@article{8a284b82-40a9-436d-8277-8cc9d05acf47,
  abstract     = {{Background<br/>Achieving safe and stable placements is a key mission for the foster care system. Foster parents and social workers are part of a caregiving network with responsibility for the child and their wellbeing. Emotionally dysregulated children's behaviors may pose a challenge to the caregiving system. Trauma-informed care (TIC) interventions aim at enhancing caregivers' understanding of such behaviors and underlying emotions.<br/><br/>Objective<br/>The present study explored the experiences of foster parents and social workers who attended TIC training together, with a special focus on their collaboration.<br/><br/>Method<br/>Focus groups interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were carried out and analyzed with inductive thematic analysis.<br/>Participants and settings<br/>The study involved foster parents (n = 15) and social workers (n = 12) who had completed TIC training.<br/><br/>Results<br/>Our analysis extracted three themes: First, Looking through the trauma lens highlighted how new TIC-related knowledge and useful metaphors can provide a deeper understanding of the potential effects on the child of adverse experiences. Second, Supporting collaboration illustrated ways in which TIC training enhances the collaboration between social workers and foster parents, reaching beyond their different roles and discourses, by shared language about the children and their difficulties. Finally, From gut feeling to awareness summarizes participants' disclosures of a shift towards more aware and sensitive interactions with the child.<br/><br/>Conclusions<br/>Our results indicate that the TIC intervention may promote a change in the caregivers' representations of the child and themselves. We argue that this may be central for sustainable change.}},
  author       = {{Angelöw, Amanda and Abrahamsson, Cecilia and Neander, Kerstin and Psouni, Elia}},
  issn         = {{1873-7757}},
  keywords     = {{Trauma-informed care; Foster care; foster parents; Caregiving representations; Social workers}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Pergamon Press Ltd.}},
  series       = {{Child Abuse & Neglect}},
  title        = {{‘Now we are on the same page’ - experiences of foster parents and social workers participating in Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) training}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107900}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107900}},
  volume       = {{173}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}