Promoting sleep health for families in British Columbia foster and kinship care
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Year 2024
- Principal investigator Elizabeth Keys
- Co-lead(s) Jelena Komanchuk, University of British Columbia
- Host institution University of British Columbia
- Research location University of British Columbia - Okanagan Campus
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Team members
- Maureen Ziprick, Syilx Okanagan Nation
- Delphine Collin-Vezina, McGill University
- Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, University of British Columbia
- Penny Corkum, Dalhousie University
- Aleksandra Stevanovic, Ministry of Children and Family Development, BC
- Jelena Komanchuk, University of British Columbia
- Joan Kirkbride, Okanagan Foster Parent’s Association
- Lisa Clutchey, Fraser Valley Foster Parents Association
- Hannah Finkelstein, University of British Columbia
Children in foster and kinship (i.e. cared for by a non-relative and a relative, respectively) families often experience health and developmental concerns. Sleep is essential for health and development, yet little is known about foster;kinship family sleep. The insights of the foster;kinship community are needed to develop sleep research (and a sleep resource) that is useful, meaningful, and relevant to foster;kinship families. We will bring together an Indigenous elder, foster;kinship caregivers, adults with childhood foster;kinship experiences, community organizations, healthcare professionals, and researchers to co-develop a sleep health research agenda and co-design a sleep resource blueprint to support foster;kinship family sleep health in British Columbia. We will offer foundational training to build our partners’ (e.g. foster;kinship caregivers, adults who experienced childhood foster;kinship placements, graduate trainee) capacity and will hold seven virtual team engagement sessions. This project will result in a research agenda and tailored sleep resource that are relevant to the foster;kinship community, which will lead to increased uptake of future findings and ultimately better sleep health for foster;kinship families.