A Qualitative Investigation of the Relationships Between Foster Care Stakeholders and Research

Abstract Research on foster care from the perspective of key stakeholders with lived and professional experience is necessary to inform programs, policy and practice. Numerous barriers exist to accessing these populations and ensuring inclusion and representation in research. This study interviewed twenty-two stakeholders with lived and/or professional experience in foster care to gain their recommendations on how to understand and conduct research on foster care and specifically and how to (a) increase stakeholders’ participation in research and (b) capture a broader representation of those impacted. Findings offer observations of who does and does not participate in research and how this may affect public perception, as well as direct recommendations for future research.