Foster Parents Who Stay Licensed and the Role of Training

A two-year follow-up evaluation was conducted for a foster parent training program. Data were collected from 105 families with 267 foster children. A substantial positive effect of training on licensing outcomes is observed even after controlling for the foster parents' personal qualities of assertiveness and activism, and childrens' risk characteristics. The process by which training brought about its benefits is illuminated in terms of foster parent program participation. Licensing rates for various combinations of foster parents' characteristics, childrens' risk characteristics, and foster parent training are examined to pinpoint where training helped the most and the least. The discussion concludes with an argument for the mandatory training of foster parents.