Family relationships of children in kinship foster care

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article explores the family relationships of foster children in kinship care and the elements that define these relationships through the concept of personal life as defined by Carol Smart. The concept of personal life designates a special area of life that is meaningful to a person. It includes one’s life as a whole and it is subject to transformations. It is based on memory and history and it is lived in myriad places, spaces, and spheres. The data consist of interviews, social network maps, and the diaries of 16 Finnish foster children aged 7 to 12 and living in kinship care. The study has a special emphasis on ethical questions. The children of the study considered their relationships in their family of origin and in their foster family significant, although ambiguous, but there were also various other dimensions involved in them. In spite of the importance of the foster family relationships, the children did not regard them as primary. The study raises questions related to family reunion, missing fathers, separated siblings, and children’s own expertise and participation. It also shows that foster children need to be heard and supported in social work practices by in addressing the worries, hopes, and confusion stemming from their important family relationships. Social work research needs to gather more information about children in kinship foster care, particularly from the perspective of the children themselves.