Foster mothers' attachment, loss, grief, and coping

The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the factors surrounding foster mothers' experiences of attachment and loss. The study focused on participants' attachment, reactions to loss, ways of coping, the importance of support and training, and suggestions to agencies and other foster parents that would improve foster parent satisfaction and possibly retention. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 foster mothers.; The findings showed that an altruistic motivation for becoming a foster parent, helping a child in need, mollified grief when a child moved to another placement. The foster mothers attached more easily to infants and children experiencing health issues. They felt the loss of a child was very hard for themselves and family members, but knowing the child was going to a good placement helped them cope with the grief. They recommended seeking support especially from other foster parents.