Foster Carers’ Own Children Left Behind: Social Workers’ Responsibilities in Addressing the Needs of All Children in Foster Families
摘要
This chapter draws on the expanding body of literature concerning the lived experiences of growing up in a family that fosters children, with a particular emphasis on how the foster carers’ birth children perceive their roles and participation in fostering. It presents broad, up-to-date international research in an area that has received limited attention in child welfare services (CWS). The chapter focuses on how foster care placements can impact the daily lives of carers’ children through positive, negative, and ambivalent experiences as well as their coping mechanisms. The aim is to highlight their significant contributions as well as the challenging aspects of their role in foster care. It examines changes within the family; various forms of loss and conflict; feelings of responsibility, worry, and early maturation; foster placement disruptions; collaboration with professionals; and the importance of recognition and support on the part of the welfare system. The discussion concludes by presenting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a legal framework for foster care, ensuring that children of foster carers receive the help, support, and protection they need to resolve conflicts and prevent undue hardships.