Foster parents' need for greater information sharing when caring for children with prenatal substance exposure within child welfare

This article presents information on how the child welfare (CW) system informs caregivers about prenatal substance exposure (PSE) and related concerns, and how those caregivers communicate back to CW about PSE issues. Focus group and interview data for this qualitative study were collected in Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 from two states, each including four local (regional/county) CW agency sites. Caregivers were eligible for inclusion if they had cared for a child served by one of the sites, with priority for those who had cared for a child with known PSE or related special needs, resulting in a total of 44 caregivers. Of these, 41 had served as non-relative caregivers, while 10 had served as informal or formal kinship caregivers. Caregivers emphasized the need for more information-sharing from CW professionals related to the histories and needs of the children in their care. Thematic findings underscore that having more information about the general impact of PSE and exposure status of individual children could better prepare caregivers. CW agencies can use these findings to inform training, information sharing, and caregiver support.When caregivers have relevant information about the children in their care, outcomes for development, family preservation, and support can be improved.