Foster Carers' Beliefs regarding the Causes of Foster Children's Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties: A Preliminary Model

Abstract

Amy Taylor, Rachel Swann and Fiona Warren report on a study that aimed to explore foster carers' beliefs about the causes of foster children's emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD), with a view to creating a theory to explain how this particular group of people make sense of these problems. Fourteen foster carers, with either past or present experience of caring for foster children with EBD, volunteered to take part in an interview to discuss their views. The interviews were transcribed and the data analysed using Grounded Theory methodology (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). Nine major causal categories emerged from the data and a theoretical model was constructed to help explicate these categories and the links between them. The results demonstrated that foster carers believed that much of foster children's difficulties were caused by early experiences of adversity (eg abuse) or inadequate care (eg neglect) prior to being fostered. However, there seemed to be a sense that these difficulties could be exacerbated by subsequent experiences within the care system itself. The clinical implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.

Addressing the mental health needs of looked after children in foster care: the experiences of foster carers

“…, Howe & Fearnley , Sargent & O'Brien , Taylor et al . , Morgan & Baron ). Furthermore, all the foster carers interviewed were conversant with referral pathways to CAMHS and were aware of the services available.…”

“…Studies of foster carers in the UK (Sargent & O'Brien , Stanley , Taylor et al . , Bonfield et al . ), the USA (Zima et al .…”

“…), beliefs and experiences of caring for foster children with emotional and behavioural difficulties (Sargent & O'Brien , Stanley , Taylor et al . ), accessing mental health services (Mayers Pasztor et al . ), and caregivers as gatekeepers to accessing services (Villagrana ).…”

“…Studies of foster carers in the UK (Sargent & O'Brien 2004, Stanley 2007, Taylor et al 2008, Bonfield et al 2010, the USA (Zima et al 2000, Mayers Pasztor et al 2006 and Australia (Villagrana 2010) all report a high prevalence of mental health difficulties among children in foster care. However, the focus of these studies varies, from help-seeking and service use (Zima et al 2000, Bonfield et al 2010, beliefs and experiences of caring for foster children with emotional and behavioural difficulties (Sargent & O'Brien 2004, Stanley 2007, Taylor et al 2008, accessing mental health services (Mayers Pasztor et al 2006), and caregivers as gatekeepers to accessing services (Villagrana 2010).…”

Social Work Students' Thoughts on Their (in)Ability to Empathise with a Birth Mother's Story: Pondering the Need for a Deeper Focus on Empathy

“…Evidence exists of a prescribed or 'forced' adoption culture and a stereotyping and silencing of birth mothers across some decades of the 20th century (Page, 1984;Kelly, 2005;O'Halloran, 2006). It is commonly considered that while the trauma and social stigma of past adoptions still may be felt by past birth mothers, the contributing 'unmarried mother' stigma has gone, although this is not to say that stigma surrounding birth parents' competency to parent in more contemporary adoptions from care in Britain and Australia would not exist (Overington, 2007;Taylor et al, 2008). In Queensland, similar to other Australian states, early infant protection legislation paved the way for the adoption of infants.…”