SET states that people engage in social relationship to obtain specific rewards or goals. One study found that the role of the foster parent takes place on a continuum of carer and parent suggesting foster parents identify themselves based on their motivation to foster (Schofield, Beek, Ward, & Biggart, 2013). Carers' motivation was to be in a position to apply their skills and training to help the child, their families, and agency (Schofield, Beek, Ward, & Biggart, 2013). Parents' motivations were connected to the desire to have a family or build their family (Schofield, Beek, Ward, & Biggart, 2013). Carers as those foster parents who identified themselves as "professionals" working alongside other foster parents and other professionals
