Children's participation in foster care placements

Abstract

This article presents results from a study of the birth children of foster carers and their experiences of growing up with foster siblings. Data were gathered from focus groups (17 participants), discussion groups (16 participants), a questionnaire (684 responses) and eight individual interviews. The children's participation in the fostering placements is in focus. Accounts from the children show that several of them participate in care-giving activities in everyday life. Their participation in the official assignment is however limited and can lead to children taking on responsibility with no support from adults. The tension between children's agency and position in society is addressed. The study shows how power relations between children and adults come into play, how both children and adults (re)-produce positions where children's rights to have a say in questions that concern them are not reflected within fostering processes.

Denna artikel presenterar resultat från en studie om familjehemsföräldrarnas egna barn och deras erfarenheter av att växa upp tillsammans med fostersyskon. Data har samlats in genom fokusgruppsintervjuer (17 deltagare), diskussionsgrupper (16 deltagare), en enkät (684 respondenter) och åtta individuella intervjuer. Barnen och de ungas delaktighet i familjehemsplaceringen är i fokus. Deltagarnas svar och berättelser visar att flera av dem är delaktiga i omsorgsgivande aktiviteter i vardagen. Delaktigheten i det officiella familjehemsuppdraget är dock begränsat vilket kan leda till att vissa barn och unga tar på sig ansvar utan att få stöd från vuxna. Spänningsförhållandet mellan barns aktörsskap och position i samhället belyses. I artikeln beskrivs maktrelationer mellan barn och vuxna, hur både barn och vuxna (re-) producerar positioner där barns rättigheter att få uttrycka sin åsikt i frågor som berör dem är begränsade i familjehemsprocessen.

Keywords:

• foster care
• children
• participation
• responsibility
• care

Nyckelord:

• Familjehemsvård
• barn
• delaktighet
• ansvar
• omsorg

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Monica Nordenfors is a trained social worker, has a doctorate in social work and is employed as a senior lecturer at the Department of Social Work, Gothenburg University. Her research focus the area of knowledge is children and families.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Swedish Foundation ‘Allmänna Barnhuset’ and by the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (FAS) [2001-1086].