We're Not Here to Tell You How to Do It Posted on March 1, 2006 Joe Price (bio) discusses the importance of treating foster parents as a respected part of the research process.

That's also how we approached it in meetings with foster parents is to say that we're not here to be the experts, to tell you how to parent your kid; we're here to partner with you. We're here to share some principles and then help you adapt it to your needs. Our attitude in going in is that we're here to help; we're not here to tell you how to do it. You're the ones that really have to do it; you're the people who count in these kids' lives. You're the ones doing the work on a day-to-day basis. Our group facilitators meant it when they said that, and the foster parents understood that and really became, I think, friends with the group facilitators during that 16-week period.

I think that it's very important for researchers and people doing the interventions to not just say they respect but to show it behaviorally because folks will pick up on it when it's not real. They're very much aware of that, but it really means asking questions and going in and saying that we're learning. That was our attitude. 'Guys help us out. We need your help to knowing how best to deliver this. We need your help to help us understand the needs of foster parents. We have some idea, but we actually need you to help us be able to do that.' And from the parents, it's saying, 'You know, you're the ones working with them on a day-to-day basis, not us. You're the ones that are going to be making a difference in kids' lives.'

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