Placement moves of foster children as perceived by foster parents residing in urban and semi-urban communities

Placement instability is a concern in foster care. Understanding foster parents' perceptions of the children's move experiences within their homes is important to developing policy and practices that aid foster families and children through these difficult transitions. A sample of 105 foster parents randomly selected from a statewide list responded to a cross-sectional survey that was designed to explore: (1) the nature of placement moves in foster homes over a 2-year period, (2) foster parents' perceptions of children's emotions during placement transitions, and (3) parents' perceived impact of placement moves on their own lives. Foster parents are negatively affected when foster children move out of their homes, and their perspective of the move transition is likely different from the viewpoint of foster children.