LAUSR

This article describes the development of two parenting groups – Nurturing Attachments (Golding, 2014) and Foundations for Attachment (Golding, 2017). Both programmes are informed by the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) model developed by Dan Hughes in the USA (Hughes, 2011; Hughes, Golding and Hudson, 2019). The groups were devised to provide much needed support for foster, residential and kinship carers and adopters parenting children and young people of all ages. Participants express high satisfaction upon attending the groups and in the most recent evaluations, report positive and statistically significant changes to their self-efficacy, competence and reflective function. This is despite the continuing challenges presented by the children and the high levels of stress experienced by many parents. The groups are part of the package of support which these carers and parents require, and can supplement individual parenting support and therapeutic interventions as needed. As the development of the groups has been grounded in the experience of foster carers and adoptive parents, underpinned by theory and supported by robust outcome studies, it can be concluded that they provide a helpful intervention for the carers and parents.