The aim of this three-paper format dissertation is to explore how the well-being of foster children of parents with substance abuse problems is defined and promoted through Family Dependency Treatment Courts (FDTC) within the context of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA). The benefit to the author of the three-paper method is the task of submitting the findings of the study for publication is eased as the dissertation contains three stand-alone articles. A drawback for the reader of the three-paper method is that there is redundancy in reading the same sections in each paper. The reader is encouraged to keep in mind that some information may be redundant when read as a whole document.

The first paper is a policy analysis of ASFA. It specifically aims to analyze the mandates of ASFA as they pertain to the well-being of foster children of parents with substance abuse problems. One approach to implementing the mandates of ASFA is through Family Dependency Treatment Courts (FDTC). FDTCs serve parents with substance abuse and dependency problems that have contributed to the removal of their children from their care. Papers two and three report the findings of a grounded theory study conducted in FDTCs. Paper two aims to define well-being, and postulates a theory to that effect, titled Emotional Permanence (EP). Paper three postulates a theory of Fostering as a basic social process that FDTC interdisciplinary teams use to promote the well-being of parents with substance abuse and dependency problems and their children. Although each paper is independent, the three are connected by the common theme of the well-being of foster children of parents with substance abuse problems.