Perceptions of long-term female foster-carers: I'm not a carer, I'm a mother
- Publication Type:
- Journal Article
- Citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 2013, 43 (6), pp. 1056 - 1072
- Issue Date:
- 2013-09-01
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| Filename | Description | Size | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2013001036OK_Blythe.pdf | 1.16 MB |
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The need for foster-carers has significantly increased in recent decades as growing numbers of children are in need of out-of-home care. However, despite their importance to the foster-care system, the foster-carer role is imbued with ambiguity. The perceptions and expectations of the foster-carer role differ greatly between child protection workers, the children in foster-care, the wider community and foster-carers themselves. This paper seeks to provide insight and understanding of provision of long-term fostercare from the perspective of the female carer. The findings presented in this paper are drawn from a larger doctoral study that examined women's experiences of providing long-term foster-care in Australia. Analysis revealed participants did not perceive themselves as foster-carers, but rather viewed themselves as mothers to the long-term foster children in their care. This understanding has the potential to: inform both policy and practice in relation to long-term foster-care; provide useful recruitment information; and possibly serve to augment relations between child protection workers and women who provide long-term foster-care. © The Author 2012.
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