What does it mean to be a ‘foster parent’? -exploring Foster parent narratives using ideal-type analysis

Abstract

Objective: Foster care services in Denmark, as in many other countries, face challenges with recruitment, assessment, and retention of foster families. It is essential to understand how foster parents understand their role and how this might relate to child outcomes. This paper develops a typology of foster parent types through an ideal-type analysis of interviews with foster parents. Participants and Setting: The sample consist of 14 Danish foster parents who had participated in a quasi-randomized trial exploring the effects of Mentalization Based Therapy for foster families. Methods: Foster parents were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule, interview material was transcribed and subsequently an ideal-type analysis was performed. Results: Based on foster parents' perceptions of their role in the children's lives, we identified three ideal-types of foster parents: 1) emotional foster parents, 2) ambiguous foster parents, and 3) professional foster parents. Conclusions: Foster parent perceptions of their fostering role have implications for understanding foster care as a developmental context.