Balancing Priorities: Foster Parents’ Child Care Search and Selection Process

Abstract

The Arkansas Office of Early Childhood is collaborating with SRI International, the National Center for Children in Poverty, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to learn about the supply, quality, and stability of early care and education (ECE) for children in foster care, as well as the facilitators and barriers to children in foster care accessing high-quality ECE.

This brief presents findings from a survey of Arkansas foster parents about how they navigate the process of finding ECE and the factors they prioritize when selecting an ECE program.

Key findings from this brief include:

• Foster families reported relying more on their own labor and community rather than outside helper institutions to find ECE programs.
• Fewer than half of foster parents reported considering or obtaining information about accessing high-quality, publicly funded ECE through Head Start, Early Head Start, or Arkansas Better Chance (state-funded preschool).
• When searching for ECE, foster parents prioritized practical considerations that enable them to accept and maintain placements over factors related to quality and staff training.

We also share recommendations and implications for state leaders seeking to improve access to ECE for young children in foster care.