"Even if you think you can trust them, don't trust them": An exploratory analysis of the lived experiences of sexual health among sexual minority girls in foster care

Qualitative studies of the lived experiences of being in foster care: A scoping review protocol

The aim of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the existing qualitative research concerning the lived experiences of children and young people currently in foster care.

INTRODUCTION

Lived experience of foster care is an area of limited research. Studies tend to focus on foster caregiver retention rates, education performance outcomes, evaluations and policy development. Although these studies are important, they provide little insight into the everyday lives of those currently in foster care, which is likely to influence these previous areas of research.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The scoping review will be guided by Arksey and O'Malley's approach to scoping studies. A systematic database search of PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO will be conducted followed by a systematic chain search of referenced and referencing literature. English-language peer-reviewed qualitative studies of children and young people currently in foster care will be included. We will exclude studies linked to transitioning out of foster care and studies with samples mixed with other types of out-of-home care. Mixed-methods studies will be excluded in addition to programme, treatment or policy evaluations. Following removal of duplicates, titles and abstracts will be screened, followed by a full-text review. Two researchers will independently screen references against inclusion and exclusion criteria using Covidence software. The quality of the included studies will be assessed by two independent reviewers using the appropriate Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Information gathered in this research will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences relevant to foster care services and quality improvement. Reports will be disseminated to relevant foster care agencies, where relevant. Ethical approval and informed consent are not required as this protocol is a review of existing literature. Findings from the included studies will be charted and summarised thematically in a separate manuscript.

Evaluation of a Brief Foster Parent/ Case Worker Training to Support Relationship Building Skills and Acceptance of LGBTQ+ Youth in Care

LGTBQ+ youth in foster care need unique support and acceptance; however, few case workers and caregivers receive specialized training. To address this, the Connecting: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) eLearning was developed. This evaluation assesses whether attitudes and behavioral intentions regarding LGBTQ+ youth improved as a result of this training. Caregivers and child welfare professionals showed growth in many areas, including how important they felt it was to learn strategies and skills to support LGBTQ+ youth, as well as their confidence to care for LGBTQ+ youth. The Connecting: SOGIE eLearning is a promising tool for child welfare systems.