Foster Parents\u27 Perceptions and Beliefs about Social Emotional Development in Infants and Toddlers

Infants and toddlers placed in foster care are at increased risk for social-emotional (SE) development dysregulation. Foster parents, as surrogate parents, play a critical role in a young child having the potential for healthy SE development. The transactional model supports the complex and intricate interplays and transactions of the child, the foster parent, and the environment that influences a healthy SE development. This qualitative descriptive study explored foster parent knowledge, behavioral cue recognitions, and role perception regarding a young child\u27s SE development. Although the sample size was small, the study provides relevant information, from the on-going experiences of foster parents, for healthcare providers to assimilate into their practice concerning SE development of young children in foster care