Date
8-9-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Jeanne D. Brooks
Keywords
Attachment, development, resilience, foster care, foster parent, foster child, trauma
Disciplines
Counseling | Education
Recommended Citation
Meyer, Stuart Parker, "Hugging a Porcupine: A Phenomenological Study on Attachment in Young Children in Foster Care" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5815.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5815
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe foster parents’ experiences attempting to build healthy attachment with young children in their care in Northern Virginia. The foster parent’s role is pivotal in nurturing these valuable relationships. The theory guiding this study was the theory of attachment by John Bowlby, as attachment impacts development in a child. Promoting secure attachment builds resilience in young children, supporting them as they overcome trauma (Storey & Fletcher, 2022). The research question was: What are the lived experiences of foster parents who attempted to build a secure earned attachment with their young foster child? Interviews with eight caregivers of young children in foster care were used to discover how they perceive and promote their attachment with their foster children. Data from the interviews was analyzed to find six themes: Theme One: Be Present, Theme Two: Learn the Child, Theme Three: Join the Family, Theme Four: Take Your Guard Down, Theme Five: Take Action, and Theme Six: Seek More Support. The implications for this study were not only far reaching to those who provide care for young children in foster care, like current and future foster parents, but also to social workers, teachers, and community members.
