Birth parents' perception of sharing the care of their child with foster parents

Abstract

In Sweden, approximately 20 000 children were placed in out-of-home care at some time during 2006. Little is known of how their birth parents perceive their situation. This paper draws upon results from focus groups with 13 parents whose children were placed in care. The parents were invited to a conference centre, where focus group discussions were performed in different constellations over three days. Most parents experienced feelings of inferiority, guilt and shame. The parents' relationship with foster carers was often asymmetrical: parents felt their position to be inferior to that of the foster carers. Parental visits in the foster home were often problematic; it was hard to interact naturally with the children. Most parents asked for more visits in their own home, or at a neutral place. In cases where a positive working relationship between parents and foster carers existed, foster carers respected parents, informed them of the everyday life of children and included them in both minor and major decisions about the child. In cases where parents were well informed about their children's lives, they found it was much easier to have good contact with their children during their time in care.