Male Foster Carers: What Do We Mean by ‘Role Models’?

Abstract

In the last issue of Adoption & Fostering RobbieGilligan set out the need to focus on the roles of male foster carers. Simon Newstone continues the debate with an examination of how male foster carers perceive their responsibilities, often referred to as providing a 'positive male role model' to children. Discussions and interviews with men who foster reveal divergent views about what this role model comprises. A review of literature and research suggests that 'involved' male carers can contribute to better outcomes for children, including fostered children. Involved men may offer a 'nurturing' or a 'traditional' male role model to youngsters. Outcomes in areas such as health, education, and self-care will be improved for looked after young people if male foster carers model good practice, and are actively involved in the children's lives. Agencies need to review the roles they expect male carers to play, and improve the ways in which they acknowledge and support men.Simon Newstone is Centre Manager, Families for Children (independent fostering agency)

Looking Back on the Long-Term Fostering and Adoption of Children with Harmful Sexual Behaviours: Carers' Reflections on Their Experiences

“…In their interviews with us, respondents made regular reference to the importance of males in their immediate or extended families or as friends, examples which seem to echo the views of Gilligan (2000) and Newstone (2000) and Hardwick's findings (2005). It may be that this was especially important given that all the young people placed were male.…”

“…Research has been undertaken into the motivations and characteristics of foster parents (Dando and Minty, 1987;Orme and Buehler, 2001), the role of men in substitute care (Gilligan, 2000;Newstone, 2000), the challenges and strains of substitute caring (Dozier, 2005;Farmer, 2005;Murray et al, 2011), the importance of caregiver commitment to offering an enduring relationship with a child or young person and a 4 secure base (Schofield 2002;Harden, 2004;Holland et al, 2005;Schofield andBeek, 2005a and2005b;Dozier and Lindhiem, 2006) and factors that influence the success or otherwise of placements, for example, contact with birth family members (Moyers et al, 2006).…”

Foster Fathers and Carework: Engaging Alternate Models of Parenting

“…As per previous research, the male participants in this study spoke of their active role in parenting and their commitment to child-focused care provision. In support of Newstone's (2000) finding that foster fathers can model alternate ways of parenting as a man, the foster fathers in the present research similarly reported some of the ways in which they negotiate their role as parents that stand in contrast not only to the parenting behaviors of foster children's birth fathers, but also potentially in contrast to the typical behaviors expected of fathers (i.e., not only do they have fun with children, but they also engage in nurturing behaviors that promote attachment). This would appear to contradict Gilligan's (2000) suggestion that foster fathers primarily enact gender normative forms of parenting as men, though further research is required to ascertain whether this finding is limited to this sample or is broadly indicative of Australian foster fathers.…”

“…In his research on foster fathers, Newstone (2000) compares "traditional" understandings of men as parents to "nurturing" understandings that provide alternate models of what it means to be a father. In this sense, Newstone's research addresses how foster fathers negotiate "hegemonic masculinities"-those forms of masculinities that dominate or which are accepted as the norm (Connell, 1995).…”

“…We were also interested to explore how all of the foster fathers in our sample (both heterosexual and gay) engage in particular parenting practices. Finally, we were interested to explore Newstone's (2000) suggestion that foster fathers potentially model alternate ways of parenting as men through the enactment of a range of masculine identities, or whether it is indeed the case, as Gilligan (2000) suggests, that foster fathers primarily engage in relatively normative forms of parenting that prop up hegemonic masculinities.…”