Trauma Competent Caregiving: A Pilot Examination of a Virtual Trauma-Informed Caregiver Training for Foster and Kinship Parents

Abstract Young people in the foster care system are at an increased risk of exposure to early trauma, yet evidence-based, trauma-informed training is not yet widely implemented to support foster and kinship parents who care for youth in the system. The purpose of this study is to pilot a virtual trauma-informed caregiving curriculum, Trauma Competent Caregiving (TCC), to provide preliminary evidence of its acceptability and utility for a sample of foster and kinship caregivers in the United States. Due to high rates of attrition, limited conclusions could be drawn from planned quantitative analyses; however, meaningful results were pulled from qualitative data collected following the trial’s completion. Findings suggest that foster parents found the virtual TCC curriculum to be appropriate, relevant, and meaningful in their role as foster or kinship parents. They had some challenges with the time commitment and presentation of materials but desired wider dissemination of this and similar training opportunities. Additionally, caregivers suggested the need for improved research practices in the system that offered support for diverse caretakers, addressed their demanding schedules, and provided quality and ongoing access to meaningful, evidence-based information. This study provides preliminary support for the use of the virtual TCC curriculum for foster and kinship caregivers in the United States, and it adds to the growing literature supporting the development of evidence-based practices in the foster care system.