Description
Literature on work-family roles and boundaries are commonly examined as two different spheres of activity, with family distinct from work. Foster care, however, combines the role of family and work. Foster care is founded on the principle of finding a home for a child that is loving and lasting which provides the foundation for a good life and helps children excel in education and work and have good overall mental and physical health. Foster carer is a ‘professional’ role in which foster carers are encouraged to perform a ‘parent’ role by creating a supportive ‘family’ environment to facilitate attachment and belonging in children. Although this ‘parent’ role has endured, the demographic changes in children entering foster care have resulted in a shift from a ‘parental’ role to a ‘professional’ role for foster carers in the United Kingdom. This paper provides an analysis of the accounts of foster carers and social care professionals to explore the experiences of therapeutic support in managing foster carer’s dual role. In-depth interviews were conducted with foster carers (N = 6) and social care professionals (N = 10) to investigate the experiences of foster carers in providing care for children proceeding the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. This paper is the first of its kind in the UK to investigate the role of therapeutic support in helping foster carers balance dual roles to create secure and stable placements for children. It makes recommendation for developing cohesive approaches to supporting foster carers (and children).| Period | 22 Jun 2024 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Work and Family Research Network (2024) |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Montreal, CanadaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |
Keywords
- Foster Care
- Social Care
- Dual Role
- Work
- Family