ORIGINAL PAPER Confidence to Foster Across Cultures: Caregiver Perspectives Jason D. Brown Æ Jennifer Sintzel Æ David St. Arnault Æ Natalie George Published online: 22 February 2009 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract It is important to understand how cultural val- ues, beliefs and traditions of foster parents are related to placement success because a substantial proportion of children in care come from culturally diverse backgrounds. In the present study participants were asked about resour- ces they saw as necessary to improve their confidence fostering children from culturally diverse backgrounds. Sixty-one foster parents from a central Canadian province participated in a telephone interview that included the question: ‘‘what would help you feel more confident about fostering children with different values, beliefs and tradi- tions?’’ A total of 35 unique responses were obtained and grouped together by 13 foster parents. Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis were used to analyze the grouping data. Foster parents described six themes: understanding different cultures, training, self awareness, agency support, open discussion and community services. There were several similarities and differences between the perspectives of foster parents interviewed and the litera- ture. Implications for future research are discussed. Keywords Culture Á Concept map Á Foster parents Á Canada Introduction Recent studies have examined success in foster care from the perspectives of foster parents (Buehler et al. 2003; Cole and Eamon 2007; MacGregor et al. 2006) yet few have focused specifically on placements with foster children who come from different cultural backgrounds than their own. Understanding the role of values, beliefs and tradi- tions in foster care is crucial as a substantial proportion of foster parents and children in care come from culturally diverse backgrounds (Coakley and Orme 2006; McPhatter 1997). Placement outcome is associated with foster parents acceptance and accommodation of diversity, which includes awareness of how their own values, beliefs and traditions affect the dynamics of foster family experiences (Schatz and Horejsi 1996). The purpose of the present study is to explore the resources that foster parents perceive as necessary to enhance their own confidence about caring for children from culturally diverse backgrounds. Provision of enhanced resources to foster parents regarding diversity may be important for the prevention of placement prob- lems, promotion of foster caregiver satisfaction and retention as well as the quality of care and well-being of foster children (Cole and Eamon 2007). In Canada, each province and territory is responsible for its own child protection law and enforcement. The legis- lation applies to all residents between the ages of 0 and 17 years. Although foster care is not the only placement type (e.g. group homes, inpatient care) for children deemed to be temporarily in need of protection, it is the most fre- quently used (Ali 2002). Foster care is typically characterized as a short-term arrangement with family reunification or adoption as long-term options. Foster care services include the licensure and monitoring of private homes with caregivers who provide residential and thera- peutic service to children on behalf of the state. The administrative structure of child protection author- ities and services within each province and territory vary considerably. In Manitoba, the setting of the present study, four separate authorities have been established. Licensure J. D. Brown (&) Á J. Sintzel Á D. St. Arnault Á N. George Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, 1137 Western Road, London, ON N6G 1G7, Canada e-mail: jbrow97@uwo.ca 123 J Child Fam Stud (2009) 18:633–642 DOI 10.1007/s10826-009-9264-z