Suchergebnisse

ObjectiveTo identify situations and behaviors occurring during contact visits that are likely to have an impact on a foster child's well‐being.BackgroundIt has been argued that contact visits between foster children and birth parents can help to maintain attachment bonds and support the child's development. However, contact continues to be a subject of controversy, and evidence of both benefits and drawbacks has been reported in the literature. Few studies have examined what actually occurs during such visits, how parents and children interact, and what role is played by those involved.MethodWe conducted an in‐depth qualitative observational analysis of the behavior of participants in contact visits (birth parent, child, and social worker), as well as of the characteristics of the venue. Participants were 20 children in nonkinship foster care and their birth parents. Information regarding the characteristics of visits was provided by the child protection services and the fostering agencies involved.ResultsThe analysis revealed a large number of positive behaviors among parents, children, and social workers, but also the need for improvement in several areas (e.g., family relationships, social/communication skills, and presents).ConclusionsThis study highlights the need to improve contact visits by developing intervention strategies targeting all those involved. Notably, the support and supervision provided by social workers was not always adequate.ImplicationsThe results of this study could be used to develop an instrument for assessing the quality of contact visits and identifying aspects that need to be improved.

This study analyzes the opinions of foster families and social workers regarding the benefits and problems associated with contact visits. Data were gathered through two focus groups, comprising social workers and foster carers, respectively. Both groups agreed that visits were useful for maintaining foster children's attachment to their birth family, for enhancing their psychological wellbeing and for helping them to understand the real situation of their birth family. Regarding difficulties, the two groups highlighted problems of coordination between social workers and foster families, as well as a lack of support and preparation for foster carers, children, and birth families.

Summary This study aims to give voice to parents and gather their views about contact visits in foster care. Participants were 23 birth families who had contact visits with 35 children in non-kinship foster care. Semistructured individual interviews were conducted in order to explore two key aspects: the parents' opinions regarding the contact visits and the main areas they felt needed improving. The interviews were transcribed and the transcripts were examined using an inductive method by Atlas.ti. Findings The main themes to emerge concerned their general view of contact visits, the input and support from social workers, the contribution of foster families, the contact venue, and the organization of visits. In general, the birth families' comments were positive about the support and treatment received from social workers. However, they also mentioned certain aspects should be improved, such as supervision during visits. Applications The results suggest several ways to improve social work practice. Social workers should aim to involve birth families more in the process of drawing up contact arrangements and offering birth families adequate preparation prior to visits. Child protection agencies also have a role to play in relation to improving the facilities in which visits are held, as well as their overall organization, such as, the venue should provide a space that enables everyday family relationships to take place, and in the absence of this, attempts should be made to organize visits outside the official meeting place.

AbstractIt has been argued that contact visits between foster children and birth parents can help maintain attachment bonds and support the child's development. However, some research suggests that such visits can be detrimental. This study analyses the characteristics of contact visits and examines children's perceptions of the emotional relationship they have with foster carers and their biological parents. Participants were 104 non‐kinship foster children and their respective foster carers and social workers. Fifty‐six of these foster children had contact visits with their birth parents. Foster children rated the quality of their relationship with foster carers and birth parents using the Affect Scale. Foster children, foster carers and social workers all completed the Evaluation of Contact Visits Questionnaire. Results showed that (i) a high proportion of children had no contact visits; (ii) the contact agreement was often not fulfilled; (iii) many visits were rated as poor quality; (iv) foster carers' evaluation of visits was more negative than that of both foster children and social workers; and (v) children who experienced poor‐quality visits and perceived less warmth and more criticism/rejection from their parents. These results highlight the need to improve contact visits by developing intervention strategies targeted at all those involved.