Trauma-informed Foster Care
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Fostering Connections: The Trauma-informed Foster Care Project
This Project was a research collaboration between UCC and TUSLA in 2016 to 2021 that designed, developed and evaluated the internationally recognized Trauma-informed Foster Care Programme: Fostering Connections.
Fostering Connections Research Articles
- Lotty, M., Bantry-White E., & Dunn-Galvin, A. (2022) Development of a Psychoeducational Foster Carer Programme Using the Medical Research Council (MRC) Framework for Complex Interventions, Child Care in Practice, 29(1), 1-15.
- Lotty, M., Bantry-White, E. & Dunn-Galvin, A. (2021). Trauma-informed care psychoeducational group-based interventions for foster carers and adoptive parents: A narrative review', Adoption and Fostering, 45(2), pp. 191-214. DOI:
- Lotty, M., Bantry-White, E., & Dunn-Galvin, A. (2021). A Qualitative Study in Ireland: Foster Carers and Practitioners Perspectives: on Developing a Trauma-informed Care Foster Carer Psychoeducation Programme, Child in Care Practice, 1-17. DOI:
- Lotty, M., Bantry-White, E., & Dunn-Galvin, A. (2020). The Experiences of Foster carers and Facilitators of Fostering Connections: The Trauma-informed Foster Care Programme: A Process Study. Children and Youth Services Review, 119, 105516. DOI:
- Lotty, M., Dunn-Galvin, A., & Bantry-White, E. (2020). Effectiveness of a trauma-informed care psychoeducational programme for foster carers–Evaluation of the Fostering Connections Programme. Child Abuse & Neglect, 102.&²Ô²ú²õ±è;¶Ù°¿±õ:&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
- Lotty, M. (2019). Fostering stability through ‘Fostering Connections: The Trauma-informed Foster Care Programme.’ FOSTER. Issue 7, Ireland.
- Lotty, M. (2020). Trauma-Informed Care Research: Implications for Foster Care Practice. Relational Child and Youth Care Practice, 33(2), 20-39.
Fostering Connections Resources
TUSLA Fostering Connections Leaflet - Lotty, M. (2017). Fostering Connections: The Trauma-informed Foster Care Programme-Facilitators Guide. Cork, Ireland: TUSLA, the Child and Family Agency.
- Lotty, M. (2017). Fostering Connections: The Trauma-informed Foster Care Programme-Toolkit. Cork, Ireland: TUSLA, the Child and Family Agency.
Webinar - Key Message from the Fostering Connections Evaluation Study
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The 9th Children in Care Research Forum, Trinity College Dublin, [Invited speaker], ‘Key messages from an evaluation of Fostering Connections: The Trauma-informed Foster Care Programme’. Online, February 2021, available
Foster Care and Trauma-informed Practice
Resources
These resources have been driven by Fostering Connections Research and the TARA Research Project.
Peer-reviewed articles
- McCormack, L., Campbell, N. and Lotty, M. (2024) 'Trauma in the foster care system: finding positive ways forward in practice', Foster, 2024(15), pp. 54-63:
- Lotty, M., McCormack, L., Campbell, L., & Stanley, D. (2024). Transforming the child welfare system from the inside out: Integrating trauma-informed practices into foster care services’ The Irish Social Worker, Winter, pp. 21-37.
- Lotty, M. (2021). Finding the common ground: families, relationships, and child-focused practice in foster care. Irish Social Worker, 128-146.
- Lotty, M. (2020). ‘Teamwork in Mind: Exploring Collaborative Practices in Foster Care as a key component of Trauma-informed Foster Care.’ FOSTER. Issue 9, Ireland. .
TARA Practice Tools developed by the TARA Research Project
- Time bandits: Sensory Pack for before and after familiy contact: TARA Project_TimeBanditsSensoryPack.pdf
- Trauma-Informed Practice for Children Experiencing Multiple Moves in Foster Care: /en/media/research/tara/TheRippleEffect.pdf
TARA Practice Tools
- Lotty, M. (2023). TARA Practice Model (Trauma, Attachment, Resilience into Action). Zenodo. Available at: 
- Lotty, M. (2024). The Thermometer of Regulation, Available at:
- Lotty, M. (2024). Understanding the Drivers of Behaviour: Trauma-informed Practice Tool. Available at: 
- Lotty, M. (2025). TARA - The 3Rs of Building Resilience. Zenodo. Available at:
- Lotty, M. (2025). TARA - Build Mentalising Tool. Zenodo. Available at:
- O'Donoghue, M. (2025). TARA - Our Language Reconsidered. Zenodo. Available at:
- O'Donoghue, M. (2025). TARA - Bodily Sensations Vocabulary Tool. Zenodo. Available at:
- O'Donoghue, M. (2025). TARA - Feelings & Emotions Vocabulary Tool. Zenodo. Available at:
- O'Donoghue, M. (2025). TARA - Regulating Activities. Zenodo. Available at:
- O'Donoghue, M. (2025). TARA - Toolkit of Regulation. Zenodo. Available at:
- O'Donoghue, M. (2025). TARA - Embodiment & Breathing Practices. Zenodo. Available at:
- O'Donoghue, M. (2025) . TARA - Mindfulness Practices. Zenodo. Available at: c
TARA Whole Team Foster Care Approach
Phase 2 of the TARA Project which adopts a participatory research approach, focusing on creating initiatives informed by the TARA model with frontline professionals that blend trauma-informed practices with existing service delivery processes.
This resource was produced by the Time Bandits Cluster Group: