Long term foster care : the effects on the foster family and the social worker's role

Abstract

Foster care is generally known to have as its primary aim the welfare of children who need it. Hence, the foster family plays a fundamental role in the placement as the healthy development of the child in care depends upon it. This qualitative research explores the various positive and negative effects which foster family members undergo during a placement and the results of these effects on the foster family. Six different couples who have fostered or are currently fostering have taken part in an open ended interview. One sibling from each family was also interviewed separately. Interviewees were left free as possible to discuss their own interpretation of effects resulting from the placement. .The research also explores the role played by social workers in this endeavor from interviews carried out with four social workers working with foster families. The study shows that foster families undergo various changes resulting from the different effects the placement induces upon them. These effects require specific · roles from their social workers to be addressed. Suggestions for further improvement of fostering strategies are outlined for future approaches to social work with foster placements to ameliorate.