Stories With Blurred Contours: Family Displays of Foster Families and Young Children in Out-of-Home Care

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate foster parents' displays and narratives about family life as foster parents of toddlers and preschool children and how these influence the welfare and sense of family belonging for younger children in foster care. Based on qualitative interviews with 16 foster parents in 10 foster families of looked-after children aged 1–6, narratives about the children, their needs and roles in the foster family were analysed. Various kinds of narratives of the child and foster family were identified, where the child's differentness and the normative ideas of the foster family often were negotiated in ways that blurred the understanding of the children's needs. Various boundary issues affecting the foster family were also visualized. The results suggested that addressing issues of family boundary ambiguity as a difficult feature of foster care would be beneficial. Not only would this provide opportunities to strengthen the internal life and resilience of the foster family, but it would also help visualize the looked-after children's individual needs and strengthen their position as family members.