The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences, challenges, and needs of foster parents in Oregon. The knowledge gained from this study will be used to inform Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and community organizations working with foster parents of facilitators of and barriers to foster parent engagement and retention and to make recommendations for how to better meet the needs of foster parents. The aims of this study are as follows: 

• To elevate the voices and describe the experiences of foster parents in Oregon;
• To understand the motivation behind why foster parents choose to continue or stop fostering;  and,
• To identify areas where foster parent support is thriving and where it can be improved.

To address the aims delineated above, all licensed foster parents in Oregon were invited to participate in an online survey measuring constructs related to the foster parent experience (survey launched in early 2021). ODHS and community partner organizations (e.g., Every Child, Foster Parent Association, etc.) helped to spread the word about this survey. Findings and insights gained will hopefully allow service providers to tailor their services to better meet the needs of foster parents as well as to identify community resources foster parents desire.  2CW researchers developed a summary report of findings overall. They are also continue to run analyses to understand what can be learned from foster parents.