Me and my foster family: assessing the feasibility of a flexible intervention

Abstract

This article reports on a feasibility study of Me and My Foster Family (MOMP), a complex intervention designed to embed two standardized screening questionnaires, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Attentive to Learning questionnaire (ATT: LEARN), into routine social work with children in family foster care in Denmark. Using a multi-theoretical and context-sensitive approach to assessing feasibility, the study examines whether implementing flexibly can enhance feasibility.

The study was conducted across six municipalities over 19 months. Quantitative data comprised recruitment and screening completion rates for 300 children, while qualitative data came from interviews with caseworkers, foster care consultants, and managers as well as observations of training and reflective meetings.

The study found that screening rates in terms of number and types of respondents varied widely across municipalities. Those maintaining stable administrative support and collaborative workflows achieved higher rates. Context‐sensitive adjustment such as redefining inclusion criteria, adjusting local workflows or reallocating administrative resources facilitated local fit yet also sometimes constrained long‐term routine use.

Further, despite chronic resource constraints, social workers demonstrated commitment to quality, often innovating locally to sustain use of MOMP tools. These findings indicate that flexible implementation approaches, including giving practitioners agency, can enhance feasibility and generate critical knowledge for adaptation before upscaling and impact evaluation. The study offers actionable insights for designing flexible implementation processes for interventions in resource‐limited child welfare contexts.