Does mindfulness mediate the influence of stress upon parenting relationships in a foster care population: a pilot study of the effectiveness of a mindfulness based parenting program for foster carers.

There is a shortage of foster carers which has been linked to the stressors associated with the demands of the role. This current shortage of carers in conjunction with an increasing number of children needing out-of-home care placements reflects the need for increased support and training for foster carers. Foster carers are responsible for providing a nurturing and supportive environment to support children to develop positive attachments and to increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. It is for this reason that the parent-child relationship is a crucial factor in a successful foster care placement. High stress levels of fosters carers has been recognised as a substantial contributing factor to placement breakdowns and the resulting difficulty of retaining foster carers. Mindfulness has been found to be an effective strategy in improving parenting relationships in natural parents and their children however there is limited research in using mindfulness based parenting strategies in the foster care population. The aim of this study is to determine if mindfulness is a mediating factor between stress and parenting relationships and to evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness based training program within a foster care population with the ultimate aim of improving resilience in foster carers and thereby improving carer retention.