Can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties?

Although foster care is generally seen as providing a positive experience for the children and young people for whom it caters, it is rarely conceived of as a place where the children are helped to address their emotional difficulties and modify their often difficult behaviour. Yet research evidenc...

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Main Author: Wilson, Kate
Format: Article
Published: Sage Publications 2006
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/806/
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author Wilson, Kate
author_facet Wilson, Kate
author_sort Wilson, Kate
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
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description Although foster care is generally seen as providing a positive experience for the children and young people for whom it caters, it is rarely conceived of as a place where the children are helped to address their emotional difficulties and modify their often difficult behaviour. Yet research evidence suggests that some foster carers are consistently less likely to have placements which break down, and that foster carers who show particular skills in parenting can make a difference to successful outcomes. The paper draws on a large longitudinal study of foster care to argue that it is possible to learn from what these foster carers do in order to develop these skills in others. A model of successful foster care. developed from the main statistical part of the study is first described. Two cases from the qualitative, case studies component of the research are then analysed to demonstrate a quality of responsive parenting. The model is further developed within the framework of the dynamic of attachment and interest sharing proposed by Heard and Lake, to show how this can be used as a basis for future approaches to working with foster placements.
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spelling nottingham-8062020-05-04T20:29:21Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/806/ Can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties? Wilson, Kate Although foster care is generally seen as providing a positive experience for the children and young people for whom it caters, it is rarely conceived of as a place where the children are helped to address their emotional difficulties and modify their often difficult behaviour. Yet research evidence suggests that some foster carers are consistently less likely to have placements which break down, and that foster carers who show particular skills in parenting can make a difference to successful outcomes. The paper draws on a large longitudinal study of foster care to argue that it is possible to learn from what these foster carers do in order to develop these skills in others. A model of successful foster care. developed from the main statistical part of the study is first described. Two cases from the qualitative, case studies component of the research are then analysed to demonstrate a quality of responsive parenting. The model is further developed within the framework of the dynamic of attachment and interest sharing proposed by Heard and Lake, to show how this can be used as a basis for future approaches to working with foster placements. Sage Publications 2006-10 Article PeerReviewed Wilson, Kate (2006) Can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties? Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 11 (4). pp. 495-511. ISSN 1359-1045 attachment attachment dynamic and interest sharing foster care responsive parenting treatment foster care 10.1177/1359104506067873 10.1177/1359104506067873 10.1177/1359104506067873
spellingShingle attachment
attachment dynamic and interest sharing
foster care
responsive parenting
treatment foster care
Wilson, Kate
Can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties?
title Can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties?
title_full Can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties?
title_fullStr Can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties?
title_full_unstemmed Can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties?
title_short Can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties?
title_sort can foster carers help children resolve their emotional and behavioural difficulties?
topic attachment
attachment dynamic and interest sharing
foster care
responsive parenting
treatment foster care
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/806/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/806/