Foster parent support and needs of public health nurses, pediatric nurses, and childcare workers: A survey of three municipalities with high foster parent placement rates in Japan

Objective This study aimed to elucidate foster parent support afforded by and the related needs of public health nurses, pediatric nurses, and childcare workers in Japan.Methods We conducted a quantitative study involving 95 public health nurses, 450 pediatric nurses, and 360 childcare workers in three municipalities with foster parent placement rates higher than the national average in Japan. The participants were questioned regarding their experiences in supporting foster parents at work; participation in foster parent support training; awareness and perceptions of foster parents; knowledge about foster parents, foster children, and the foster care system; and confidence in supporting foster parents. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis.Results Questionnaires were collected from 179 participants (recovery rate: 19.8%). The breakdown of respondents was as follows: 19 public health nurses (10.6%), 77 pediatric nurses (43.0%), and 83 childcare workers (46.4%). Twenty-four participants (13.4%) replied that they had participated in foster parent support training, and 46 (25.7%) replied that they had experience supporting foster parents at work. Only 20.8% of the respondents answered that they were confident in supporting foster parents. There were differences in the experience of supporting foster parents at work and participation in foster parent support training depending on the participants' job type. The proportion of public health nurses was high in both categories. Experience supporting foster parents at work and participation in foster parent support training were significantly related to confidence.Conclusion We found that the limited opportunities for public health nurses, pediatric nurses, and childcare workers to engage in supporting foster parents and participate in foster parent support training contribute to their low confidence levels in these areas. Our findings underscore the necessity of disseminating knowledge about foster care systems and fostering an understanding of foster families among pediatric nurses and childcare workers. Integrating training related to social care and foster care systems into basic nursing education is necessary. Moreover, actively listening to the perspectives and experiences of foster parents can provide valuable insights for professionals in these fields.