The wellbeing of foster children and their relationship with foster parents and biological parents: a child’s perspective

Abstract

Most Dutch foster children live permanently in foster families. It is often assumed that foster children have ambivalent loyalties and attachments to their birth parents and foster parents and are torn between the two. In this study 59 children between 10 and 18 years placed in long term foster care completed standardised questionnaires on the relationship with their parents respectively foster parents and their wellbeing. Results show that, on average, foster children have positive feelings of loyalty and attachment towards both their foster parents and biological parents. However, their wellbeing appeared mainly related with stronger attachment representations towards their foster parents. This study found no indications for a competing position of biological parents and foster parents from the perspective of the child. Nevertheless, foster children who see their foster and biological parents as more vulnerable or experience stronger normative boundaries, feel worse compared to children who experience this feelings less.

What is a family? Constructions of family and parenting after a custody transfer from birth parents to foster parents

“…Drawing on previous research (Maaskant et al, 2016), it can be supposed that children who were placed in foster care as infants have had fewer opportunities to build relationships with their birth parents. Consequently, the contact with birth parents might be less significant for children who have been in foster care since they were very young.…”

“…We do not find evidence which suggested that the young people interviewed felt torn between birth parents and foster parents. Following Maaskant, van Rooij, Bos, and Hermanns (2016), this can be interpreted as the young people in our study were not particularly worried about their birth parents and that they had stable relationships with their new custodians.…”

“…We argue that the concept of family is associated with a fixed notion of family as consisting of biological bonds. FollowingMaaskant, van Rooij, Bos, and Hermanns (2016), this can be interpreted as the young people in our study were not particularly worried about their birth parents and that they had stable relationships with their new custodians. In line withPösö et al (2014), we argue that the family-oriented perspective is challenged by a childcentric orientation, in which valuing children's needs, rights, and voice is central.…”

Relationship to parents in adulthood with a background of out‐of‐home care in childhood

“…There is a widespread view that contact with parents leads to shorter stays in foster care, but Nina Biehal (2007) demonstrates in her research review that the connection between contact and reunification is complex and should not to be understood as a causal connection. A close relationship with foster parents may not interfere with a child's wish to keep in contact with birth parents (Atwool, 2013;Baker et al, 2016;Fernandez, 2007;Maaskant, van Rooij, Bos, & Hermanns, 2016). It is also true that contact with parents is problematic for some children in foster care and some children do not want to stay in contact (Lundström & Sallnäs, 2009;McWey, Acock, & Porter, 2010;Moyers et al, 2006).…”

Psychosocial well-being in adulthood in response to systemic barriers in kinship care as experienced during adolescence

“…Other research findings have emphasized that well-being is dependent on the quality of the caregiver-child relationship, as well as placement stability (Dolbin-Macnab & Keiley, 2009;Goodman, 2012). Literature further suggests that kinship care in Western contexts, whether formal or informal, often arises following parental neglect, abuse or engagement in illegal activities (Gibson & Singh, 2010;Gleeson et al, 2009;Lee, Clarkson-Hendrix, & Lee, 2016;Maaskant, van Rooij, Bos, & Hermanns, 2016;Patterson et al, 2018). These experiences infer an increased probability of traumatic experiences within the initial parent-child relationships, prior to kinship care.…”