483
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

Is It Possible to Strengthen Bonds without Breaking Hearts? The Relational Paradox within Residential Care

ORCID Icon, , ORCID Icon, &
Pages 24-43 | Published online: 27 Feb 2022
 

ABSTRACT

Attachment theory (AT) is one of the most popular theories used among professionals working in children and family welfare worldwide. An important contribution relies on the central role of professionals in creating an emotional environment for children and youth psychosocial adaptation and development. Nevertheless, little research has been focused on comprehending caregiving challenges in such complex contexts as RC settings from an attachment theoretical framework. This study will focus on caregivers’ narratives on major processes involved when supporting young people, problematizing professional caregiving and relational challenges. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 22 professionals working on four RC facilities in Portugal. Three major themes emerged during the analysis: “it is life we are dealing with, it’s not work,” “unfortunately (or not) we are human beings” and “someone to listen when you have a monkey on your back.” By acknowledging the complex dynamics involved in the caregiving process in out-of-home contexts, this study stresses the need for an important change in the relational paradigm in child welfare, advocating for the role of reflexive practice and self-knowledge as important premises for secure base behaviors.

Acknowledgments

Project funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/PSI-ESP/28653/2017).

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - Portugal [PTDC/PSI-ESP/28653/2017].

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 53.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 384.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.