A case study of two foster parents and their experience providing care for difficult children: a phenomenological study
Date
1999
Authors
Kienas, Kelli Dawn
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Abstract
The Ministry for Children and Families has a standard format/procedure for determining an individual's capacity for fostering "difficult" children. The procedure typically includes a thorough home study and assessment of the potential caregiver as well as a criminal record and reference check. The home study and assessment processes are considered to be critical in the provision of foster care. However, despite these procedures, foster placements break down, resulting in turmoil for both the foster parents and the children in care. In order to develop an understanding of foster placement breakdown and/or continuity, an inquiry using a case study approach and a phenomenological method was undertaken. The focus of the study was on foster parent experiences in providing care for "difficult" children. Two cases (foster parents) were studied. Each foster parent was engaged in interviews to elicit descriptions of their experiences of one foster child's placement within their home. One-to-one interviews were held to review the preliminary data analysis and provide feedback regarding the analysis. From this inquiry, three key factors relevant to foster placement breakdown emerged: foster parent motivation, ability to accommodate, and awareness of own knowledge. This thesis concludes by reviewing the significance of these key factors and suggests areas for further research.