The Extent of Stability and Relational Permanence Achieved for Young Children in Care in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Placement stability is sought for children who enter care and need a place to call home. This is deemed to be necessary for the formation and continuation of secure and loving relationships with parents and carers. However, the term placement stability does not capture the quality of the placement or the subjective experience of the young person. In contrast, the term relational permanence denotes an enduring and supportive relationship between a young person and a caring adult. Research studies have tended to focus on placement stability, or legal and physical permanence, and overlook relational permanence. Within the current study, we found high levels of long-term placement stability for the study population, 354 young people who were under five and in care in Northern Ireland on the 31st March 2000. Placements for those who were adopted, on Residence Order, and rehabilitated with birth parents were more likely to be stable than those in long-term foster care and kinship foster care. However, early interview data with 30 young people and/or their parents/carers revealed high levels of relational permanence, irrespective of placement type, and that placement disruption did not necessarily mean a breakdown in the relationship. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Exploring the multi-dimensionality of permanence and stability: Emotions, experiences and temporality in young people’s discourses about long-term foster care in Ireland

“…This paper further underlines the importance of subjective and relational permanence (cf. McSherry and Fargas Malet, 2018), illuminating how relationships, identity and belonging shape and reflect permanence narratives. Importantly, our findings show that young people draw on several interconnected ideas to define permanence and stability which simultaneously relate to different dimensions of these concepts, such as ecological and enacted permanence.…”

“…It was often assumed that relational or ecological permanence would follow, if legal permanence was prioritised. However, recent research underlines the importance of relational permanence to young people (McSherry and Fargas Malet, 2018). The prioritisation of legal permanence through reunification can significantly undermine relational and physical permanence, jeopardising relationships with foster families and feelings of being 'in place'.…”

Stories of Care Leaving: The Experiences of a Group of Resilient Young Adults on Their Journey to Interdependent Living in Ghana

“…One reason that could explain the participants' good outcomes is their long and stable placements, which contrasts with the experiences of many care leavers in the international literature (McSherry & Fargas Malet, 2018;Ward, 2009). The stable placement gave them the opportunity to develop supportive relationships and to finish their education before leaving care.…”

The Emotional Nature of Birth Family Relationships for Care-experienced and Adopted Young People: A Longitudinal Perspective

“…Within the United Kingdom, when children are found to be experiencing or at risk of significant harm as a result of abuse or neglect, Social Services will remove them from the care of their birth parents, and find an alternative home for them to be placed, initially on a short-term basis until legal processes can be concluded (McSherry & Fargas-Malet, 2018). Most of the children who are removed eventually return to their birth parents (Sinclair et al, 2007).…”

“…Wave 4 of the study (children aged 17–25 years old) is ongoing. To date, the placement profile for the full study population has been tracked (McSherry & Fargas-Malet, 2018) and interviews have been completed, using both quantitative and qualitative methodology, with a sub-group of young people and their parents and carers. These have focused on a range of psycho-social domains (i.e., stress, attachment, self-concept, belonging, social support, self-control, and behavioral and emotional functioning), and wider issues such as education, training and employment, sense of belonging, key relationships, key events, and physical, emotional and sexual health.…”