Foster children are academically at risk as a result of abuse, neglect and family disruptions. Findings from previous studies have underscored the critical role played by foster parents in monitoring the academic progress of the children placed in the home. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to identify the skill sets foster parents use to address the academic problems and educational needs of the children placed in their homes. Apart from identifying skills used to address academic problems, the interview findings revealed how the foster parents' sense of self-efficacy impacted their skill sets in addressing the academic problems and educational needs of their foster children. Six themes resulted from the coding and analysis of the participants' responses: inspiration from others, internal resources, religion/spirituality, meeting foster child's educational needs, interaction with others, and psychosocial resources. The findings of the study indicated the training programs for prospective foster parents did not adequately equip them with the necessary competencies to address the academic problems of foster children. The recommendation suggested revision of the training program and the related materials and manuals to include a component addressing the educational needs of the children in foster care and clarification of the accountability for monitoring the child's academic progress. The development of a collaborative relationship among concerned adults, specifically foster parents, caseworkers, and school personnel it was part of the recommendation and was a critical factor in helping foster parents to address the educational problems and academic needs of their foster child. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]