The Inner Life of the Foster Family

The Inner Life of the Foster Family

Project leader / Professor Margareta Bäck-Wiklund
Researcher / Ingrid Höjer PhD, Lecturer and Researcher in Social Work
University of Göteborg, Department of Social Work, Box 720, SE 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden, Phone int +46 31 773 1568,
Fax int +46 31 773 1888
E-mail:
Financiation / The study was financed by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research.
Time: / 1997-01-01 – 2001-04-01

Research description

The study focuses on family relations in the homes of foster carers. The aim of the study is to find out what impact fostering has on marital relations, on relations between parents and children, and also explore relations between biological children and foster children. A gender perspective runs throughout the study; what differences could be seen in the way foster mothers and foster fathers handle the task of fostering. Questionnaires were sent by post to 550 foster carers. 50% of the questionnaires were sent to foster mothers, and 50% to foster fathers, which meant that either the man or the woman was the receiver of a questionnaire. 366 foster carers answered, 192 women and 174 men. 34 foster carers have been interviewed; the wife and husband in 17 foster families. 12 of the foster families had more than three years experience of fostering. Five couples had just started as foster carers, these five couples have been interviewed three times within the lapse of 18 months. Interviews were made with women and men separately.

Conclusions and summary

Fostering is often initiated by women, but men also play an important part and eventually get as engaged in fostering as women do. Foster carers tend to have a traditional way of organising their lives, and often live in rural areas. Motives for fostering are mainly a social interest, and a wish to live with children. To be able to handle the task of fostering, it is important for foster mothers and foster fathers to have a stable and trusting relationship. One of the most rewarding things about fostering is a closer relationship between men and women. Another rewarding aspect of fostering is that it causes foster carers to reflect upon their parenthood, of what it means to be a parent. Less rewarding aspects are that fostering make carers tired, and drains them of energy. Lack of control also put foster carers in a paradoxical situation, where they feel responsible for something they do not have the power to influence.. Fostering can make carers less observant of the situation of their own children, and sometimes even have a negative impact on these children, but carers also report fostering to increase emphatic abilities of children. Contact with birth parents might cause conflicts and feelings of uncertainty, but can also be perceived as rewarding by foster carers.

Publications:

Höjer, I (1997) ”Fosterfamiljens inre liv” Published in the Swedish review Socionomen. nr 4 1997

Höjer, I (2000) ”Exploring the inner life of the foster family. Astudy of family relations in families who foster”. Paper published in Book of Proceedings, IFCO European Foster Care Conference, Ireland

Bäck-Wiklund, M & Höjer, I (2001) ”Fosterföräldraskap: berikande, utvecklande och slitsamt” . In Perspektiv på forskning om barn, familj och folkhälsa. Swedish council for working life and social research 2001.

Höjer, I (2001) ”Fosterfamiljens inre liv”. Dissertation. University of Göteborg.

Höjer, I ”Fosterfamiljer i Danmark, Norge och Sverige”. In Nordiskt Socialt Arbeid nr. 1 2002. Oslo.

Höjer, I (2002)”Den belönade utmaningen”In Nordiskt Socialt Arbeid nr. 2 2002. Oslo.

Höjer, I (2003)Fosterfamiljen” In Bäck-Wiklund, M & Johansson, T (edt.) Nätverksfamiljen. Stockholm: Natur och Kultur 2003.

Höjer, I (2004) ”What happens in the foster family?” Adoption and Fostering vol. 28, nr 1, spring 2004 pp 38-48. London: BAAF

Höjer, I (2005) Foster Care – an Important Part of Child Welfare in Sweden. In Månsson, S-A & Proveyer Cervantes, C (eds) Social Work in Cuba and Sweden. Svensk-kubansk antaologi. Göteborgs universitet, Universitetet i Havanna.

Höjer, I (2006) Fosterfamiljen – en privat familj med ett offentligt uppddrag (The foster family – a private family with av public assignment). Socialmedicinsk tidskrift, häfte1, pp 74-81.