Informal support as a mediator between material hardship and stress for parents involved with the child welfare system

Abstract

Families often turn to informal support for help but for families involved with the child welfare system, these networks may be strained, unavailable, or inconsistent. This study tested the extent to which informal support mediated the relationship between material hardship and stress among a sample of parents involved in the child welfare system (N = 111). Results indicated a significant direct effect of hardship on stress, and that informal support played a partial mediating role. Implications include assessing parents’ levels of informal support and intervening to bolster, expand, or stabilize support, particularly in contexts of chronic material deprivation.