Children’s perspectives on contact with birth parents: a mixed-methods systematic review

Abstract

This mixed-methods systematic review asks what is known about children’s perspectives on contact with birth parents when in out-of-home care. To address this question 37 studies were coded to identify children’s experiences and thoughts regarding contact with their parents. Data synthesis was performed in three stages. The frequency of the identified factors across all included research was determined and qualitative and quantitative syntheses were performed. The results reveal that children hold thoughts and views on several aspects of contact with their birth parents, and the breadth of variation in their attitudes and wishes regarding contact is great. However, the study's main findings indicate that children want more contact when their relationship with their parents is positive. Parental behaviour prior to and during contact seems to affect children’s perceptions of contact, and we suggest that contact should be facilitated in a way that contributes to positive relationships and creates good experiences for children.