Children‘s experiences of foster care and schooling

Abstract

Child protection committees place children in foster care due to difficult conditions in their parental home. The goal of this measure is to safeguard children’s situation and upbringing, either temporarily or permanently, when other special measures do not suffice. Foster care placements are used by child protection authorities if a child may be physically or mentally endangered by the parent’s situation or by the child’s own behaviour. Research generally shows poorer educational outcomes for children in foster care than for other learners. Findings also confirm that placement disruption and breakdown negatively affects children’s well- being and schooling. Studies of case handling in child protection show lack of children’s participation in decision making which goes against the participation principle in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

 

This paper reports on a study of children’s own experiences on foster care and schooling. It aimed in particular at exploring whether the children under study had been consulted and empowered by child protection and educational professionals who handled their matters. The sample was recruited through child protection authorities. Finding interviewees proved to be time consuming and complicated, mostly due to lack of assistance and because gatekeepers were reluctant to grant access. The research was conducted by using child-focused interview methods. Open questions were used to enable the children to talk freely and adjust the interviews to a certain extent. Pictures, signs and conversation cards were applied to encourage the children to participate actively in dialogues. Four foster children were interviewed; two boys and two girls, all 14-16 years of age. Questions mainly concerned well-being in foster care, albeit some were retrospective in order to contextualise the accounts.