This study was about the motives that foster parents had before they became foster parents, how the motives change over time and their overall thoughts about the motives. The study aimed to increase the understanding of foster parents described motives before the mission and in their present mission. This was done by analysing four autobiographies written by people who have previous experience with being a foster parent, in which they describe their own stories regarding their mission. The result was analysed through findings in previous studies, Self-Determination theory (SDT) and Cognitive-Evaluation theory (CET). The results of this study are that the motives of foster parents change during their mission depending on extrinsic rewards. The motives of foster parents have an underlying purpose. It is important for their continued motivation to experience feelings of competence and autonomy.

Every year, thousands of children end in foster care. It is estimated that approximately 24,000 foster youths age-out of the system each year. The improvement of outcomes of foster youths when they age-out of the system has been a concern among government agencies, policy makers, and advocates. Although research in the foster care area has studied the outcomes of foster youths when they age-out of the system, the role of the foster parents in improving these outcomes, especially in the area of career development, has not received the same attention. The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of foster parents of youths with and without disabilities about their foster youth's career self-efficacy beliefs. A total of 157 foster parents registered in the Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association (IFAPA) and Nebraska Foster and Adoptive Parent Association (NFAPA) email databases responded to an online survey. The survey included a demographic questionnaire which presented questions about the extent of their role as foster parents and the Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy Scale - Short Form (CDMSE-SF) that measured the foster parents' perception of the career self-efficacy of their foster youth. After conducting a MANOVA and ANOVA analyses, a highly perceived self-efficacy belief was found among the foster parents in general. However, when the group of foster parents who reported having a youth with disability and those who do not have a youth with disability were compared, the perceived career self-efficacy beliefs were higher among the foster parents of youths without disabilities. Additionally, the foster parents identified services and/or training they understand are important for them and the foster youth such as more orientation about disabilities, the parent's role in Individual Educational Plan (IPE) meetings, and the opportunity for the foster youth of having employment experience before they leave the foster care system. Considering the important role of the family in the career development of youths and the development of expectations, these findings are important not only to the rehabilitation counseling professionals, but to many individuals in the helping professions, educators, researchers, and policy makers.

Apart from the significant amount of research based in the perspective of social service workers, parents’ viewpoints of their experiences with children in long-term foster care is notably underrepresented within social science literature. To address this lack in coverage this paper discusses parents’ experiences of compulsory care (LVU) using content analysis drawing on selected comment sections from two internet-based discussion forums, Flashback and Familjeliv. Our main objective was to analyse parents’ descriptions of their relations with the social services and changes in the perceptions of the role of parenting after the emergency removal. Applying the theoretical framework of social trust we sought to achieve a deeper understanding for the parents’ situation. The social trust theory aims at analysing individuals’ trust for the state and state institutions, especially in relation to different social groups. The study shows that the high levels of trust between citizen and authorities, one of the Swedish society’s central trademarks, was not reflected in the material collected concerning parents’ experiences of the so-called social safety net. In line with previous research, parents’ narratives demonstrated a significant distrust for the social services and their descriptions indicated a sense of neglect. Parents’ comments also suggested a lack of understanding for the judgements made by social service workers and the resulting compulsory care.

As youth in foster care mature into adulthood, they face enormous challenges (Jaudes, 2012). They lose help and support as they change into their independent live style. A lot of youth do not get the proper help they need. For example research supports that 47 percent of youth aged out of the system had health insurance coverage. One study reported that 40% of foster care youth endorsed some type of maltreatment while in foster care (Salazar,Keller, & Courtney, 2011). Yet, services that address the unique ongoing mental healthcare needs of foster care youth are not systematically required, and only a fraction of foster care youth who evidence clinically significant psychiatric symptoms receive mental health care (Burns et al., 2004; Valdez, 2015). Youth like this need someone to help them with their mental state when entering the transition to adulthood. A benefit they lack is support from family, or a mentor. In this research study, we examine what happens to the children who aged out of the foster care system, and how they continue with their life now that they are on their own. We will present the prevalence of services utilized, and outcomes experienced pertaining to the transition from being in state custody from state and national fostercare

The diploma thesis deals with the topic of foster families quality support.The aim of the diploma thesis is to describe how foster parents perceive the support of the accompanying organization and whether the preparation they have gone through in the beginnings prepared them to take the child into care.The research was based on using the technique of semi-structured interviews. The obtained data have been divided into the following categories - preparatory course, support of the accompanying organization and state support.At the end of the diploma thesis, the main research questions are answered, and recommendations for subsequent practice are also give Key words: Accompanying worker, Foster care, Foster parent, Support

No description available.

Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap kring hur diskursen kring barns bästa definieras av professionella i förvaltningsrätten där det fattas beslut om att barn ska placeras i familjehem enligt LVU 2 § (1990:52). Det empiriska materialet utgick ifrån 15 stycken förvaltningsrättsliga domar där socialnämndens vårdplan angavs vara beredande av vård utanför föräldrahemmet. Barnen i domarna var mellan noll till sex år och det fanns ingen förekomst av syskonpar i materialet. Studien är kvalitativ och Norman Faircloughs diskursanalys används både teori och metod tillsammans med barndomssociologi som ytterligare en teori. Resultatet i studien visar att diskursen kring små barns bästa hos de professionella till största del handlar om barnets grundläggande behov. De ofta ses som en homogen grupp med behov som inte skiljer sig från varandra. Vidare visar studien att små barn ofta blir objekt i rättsprocessen medans föräldrarna blir subjekt utifrån deras tillkortakommanden. / The aim of the study is to contribute with knowledge about how the discourse about the term children's best interest is defined in administrative court when a decision is made that the child should be placed in foster care according to LVU 2 § (1990:52). The empirical material is made of 15 orders from the administrative court where the social welfare boards care plan is for the child to be placed out of the family home. The children in the study is between the ages of zero to six and there were no cases in which there were siblings involved. The study is qualitative and uses Norman Fairclough's discourse analysis both as a theory and method and is used together with childhood sociology as a additional theory. The results of the study indicates that the discourse about small children's best interest is mostly about the child's basic care needs. They are often seen as a homogeneous group whose needs did not differ from one another. Further the study's results shows that small children often become objectified in the legal process and that the parents failings in many cases are seen as primary and the child perspective is seen as secondary.

Tempte. A. ”Vi vill ge det bästa av två världar” En kvalitativ studie av socionomers erfarenhet av vårdnadsöverflyttning. Masteruppsats i Socialt Arbete 15 högskolepoäng. Malmö Universitet: Fakulteten för hälsa och samhälle, institutionen för socialt arbete, 2022.  Hur barns bästa bör mötas av samhället när föräldrar brister har diskuteras genom tider och i alla samhällen. Uppfattningar om hur barns behov bäst möts är motstridiga. Val mellan återförening till biologföräldrar och stabilitet i familjehem innebär svåra och komplexa bedömningar. Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka processen när vårdnad för barn övergår från biologföräldrar till familjehemsföräldrar. En överflyttning av vårdnad innebär skiften. Juridiskt, vårdideologiskt och socialt förändras barnets förhållanden. Uppsatsens frågeställningar fokuserar på hur socialtjänsten uppfattar lagstiftarens intentioner och sitt handlingsutrymme för att bedöma och säkerställa barns bästa i dessa ärenden. Utifrån intervjuer med socionomer tas steg i processen fram och blir synliga. Studiens analys vilar på teorier om kunskap, handlingsutrymme och barndom. Det som blir synligt är att lagstiftarens intentioner uppfattas som goda, att trygga barnet. Vägen dit innebär dock avvägningar som kan motarbeta syftet. Handlingsutrymmet påverkas av att vårdnadsöverflyttning i sig inte är tillräcklig för att säkra barns bästa. Det sociala arbetet är inramat av juridiska och vårdideologiska påbud som gör att utrymmet att handla blir till en balansakt. Synen på vilken kunskap som anses viktig skiljer sig mellan socialtjänst och rättsväsende. Mötet i rättssalen påverkas av den juridiska synen på barns bästa. Vad som är bäst för barn är värdeladdat, när värderingarna krockar inbördes skapas behov av rangordning. / Tempte. A.” We Want to Give the Best of Both Worlds” A Qualitative Study of Social Workers´ Experiences in Custody Transfer. Master’s degree in social work 15 credits. Malmö University: Faculty of Health and Society, Department for Social Work, 2022.   In which way the best interest of a child should be met by the community when the ability of parents fail has been discussed throughout the times and in all communities. Perception of the best interest of children is conflicting. The choice between reunification with birthparents and stability in foster care means difficult and complex assessments. The purpose of this study is to investigate the process of moving custody from birth parents to foster parents. Moving custody contains multiple shifts. Legal aspects, caring ideology and social aspects change the child’s circumstances. The questions in this paper focus on how the social services perceives the intentions of the lawmakers and their own discretion to assess and ensure the best interest of the child in these matters. Based on interviews with social workers steps in the process are forged and visualized. The study´s analysis rests on theories of knowledge, discretion and childhood. What becomes visible is that the intentions of the law maker are perceived as good, to increase the safety of the child. The path to get there, however, involves choices that work against the purpose. The discretion is affected by the fact that moving custody in itself is insufficient to ensure the best for the child. The social work is framed by legal and care ideological edicts that turn the discretion into a balancing act. The view of what knowledge is considered important differs between the social services and the judiciary. The courtroom meeting is influenced by the legal view of children´s best interest. What is best for children is loaded with value, when these values collied, the need to arrange by rank occurs.

Placering i familjehem är en vanlig insats när barn och unga inte bedöms kunna få sina behov tillgodosedda i sin ursprungsfamilj och utgör i Sverige majoriteten av placeringar i samhällsvård. Instabilitet i denna typ av placeringar är vanligt förekommande då många familjehemsplaceringar avbryts och kännetecknas av en brist på kontinuitet. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att utforska barn och ungas upplevelser av instabilitet i familjehem, samt deras upplevelser av inflytande och delaktighet i instabiliteten. Detta gjordes utifrån frågeställningarna Hur upplever barnet/den unge instabiliteten? och Hur uppfattar barnet/den unge sin egen delaktighet och sitt inflytande i perioder av instabilitet i placeringen?. De studier som inkluderades bearbetades genom tematisk syntes och ett antal analytiska teman användes för att förstå empirin. Resultatet visade att många barn och unga upplever instabilitet som en oundviklig del av att vara i samhällets vård. Instabiliteten upplevs som emotionellt påfrestande och får negativa konsekvenser för måendet även i vuxen ålder. En del av påfrestningen i instabiliteten är att inte få tillräckligt med information från vuxna samt att inte bli hörd. Upprepad instabilitet kan också bidra till svårigheter att bygga stabila och långvariga relationer. Att uppleva instabilitet i familjehemsvården kan dock föra med sig vissa färdigheter, lärdomar och erfarenheter som är till nytta i vuxenlivet. / Foster care placement is a common arrangement when children and youth are unable to have their needs met in their family of origin, making up a majority of social care placements in Sweden. Instability in such placements is common due to many foster care placements being interrupted and characterized by a lack of continuity. The aim of this literature review was exploring children and youth’s experiences of instability in foster care, as well as the experiences of influence and participation in the instability. This was done through the following questions: How does the child/youth experience the instability? and How does the child/youth perceive their own participation and influence during times of instability in foster care placement?. The studies included was processed through a thematic synthesis, and a number of analytical themes was used to understand the empirical data. The results showed that many children and youth experience instability as an unavoidable part of being in social care. Instability is experienced as being emotionally taxing and leads to negative consequences for the individual’s well-being, even in adulthood. Part of the emotional taxation during instability comes from the lack of information provided by adults, as well as feeling unheard. Repeated instability in foster care can however contribute to some skills, lessons and experiences that are beneficial in adulthood.

Att vara familjehem är ett uppdrag som kan innebära både positiva och negativa händelser i vardagen som kan skapa olika känslor hos familjehemsmammorna. I tidigare forskning har obetydligt fokus lagts på kvinnans upplevelser som familjehemsmamma. Syftet med studien är därför att genom en kvalitativ metod undersöka hur familjehemsmammor ser på sin roll och vilka känslor som uppstår i uppdraget. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av tio semistrukturerade intervjuer. Urvalet var tio familjehemsmammor i varierande åldrar. Empirin analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys. Teoretiska utgångspunkter i studien var symbolisk interaktionism, rollteori, emotionsteorier och bindningsrelationen i anknytningsteori. Resultatet visade att familjehemsmamman ser på sin roll som att vara en omsorgstagande och kärleksfull mamma. Det var en drivkraft att få göra skillnad i ett barns liv, älska ett barn som tidigare haft det svårt och ge det en trygg och kärleksfull uppväxt. Uppdraget som familjehemsmamma krävde mycket tid och engagemang som orsakade rollkonflikter som då ledde till skuldkänslor. Resultatet visar även att formella krav i uppdraget och kontakten med det biologiska nätverket runt familjehemsbarnet kunde vara konfliktfyllt och familjehemsmamman kunde då inte ge barnet den trygghet som hon ansåg vara viktig i rollen vilket skapade känslor av oro och maktlöshet. / Being a family home is an assignment that can involve both positive and negative events in everyday life that can create different feelings in the family home mothers. In previous research, insignificant focus has been placed on the woman's experiences as a foster mother. The purpose of the study is therefore to investigate through a qualitative method how foster mothers look at their role and what emotions arise in the assignment. The study was conducted using ten semi-structured interviews. The sample was ten foster mothers of varying ages. The empirics were analyzed using thematic analysis. Theoretical starting points in the study were symbolic interactionism, role theory, emotion theories and the bonding relationship in attachment theory. The results showed that the foster mother sees her role as being a caring and loving mother. It was a driving force to make a difference in a child's life, to love a child who has previously had a difficult time and to give it a safe and loving upbringing. The assignment as a foster mother required a lot of time and commitment, which caused role conflicts that then led to feelings of guilt. The results also show that formal requirements in the assignment and contact with the biological network around the foster child could be conflict-filled and the foster mother could not then give the child the security she considered important in the role, which created feelings of anxiety and powerlessness.