Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of Foster Carers' Experiences Of Formal And Informal Support, Tara Cavazzi

Theses : Honours

Foster children are showing a higher prevalence of maladaptive physical and psychosocial issues than ever before. The presence of these issues is predictive of foster placement instability, which is compounded by the inability to recruit and retain foster carers. As placement disruption can have numerous consequences, the factors that influence placement stability have been reviewed. Carer strain is a widespread destabilizing factor, which is augmented by many factors including the perceived level of practical and emotional support from both formal and informal networks. Formal support is linked to placement stability, although carers generally feel undervalued and unappreciated by formal networks. …