
Creating Stable Foster Placements
Learning from Foster Children and the Families Who Care For Them
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Published on 21. November 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-84905-481-2 (ISBN)
Description
Andy Pithouse and Alyson Rees use original research to identify key ingredients needed to help create successful foster placements and help prevent placement breakdown.
Studying the lives and activities of 10 foster families who provide lasting and effective care, the authors explore the families' everyday worlds. They look at the negotiations, activities, settings, meanings, rituals and relationships which help to create their successful placements. The authors identify the main components which, according to the carers and the children, contribute to acceptance, belonging and stability in the family. The book examines the emotional and practical work involved in caring, and explores how it is received and reciprocated by fostered young people.
With important insights into child and carer perspectives on fostering, this book is a source of invaluable information for foster carers, children's service professionals, and trainees and care staff who may be engaged with children who are looked after.
Studying the lives and activities of 10 foster families who provide lasting and effective care, the authors explore the families' everyday worlds. They look at the negotiations, activities, settings, meanings, rituals and relationships which help to create their successful placements. The authors identify the main components which, according to the carers and the children, contribute to acceptance, belonging and stability in the family. The book examines the emotional and practical work involved in caring, and explores how it is received and reciprocated by fostered young people.
With important insights into child and carer perspectives on fostering, this book is a source of invaluable information for foster carers, children's service professionals, and trainees and care staff who may be engaged with children who are looked after.
Reviews / Votes
Here is a very special book that gets under the skin of foster care. It captures the living, breathing realities of daily life for foster children and carers. It shows why foster care is so important and how it can be made even better. A veritable 'one-stop shop' for those seeking a more rounded understanding of foster care. -- Robbie Gilligan, Professor of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin Across social care we increasingly encourage practitioners to work with users of services to build on their strengths and focus on what they can do, not what they can't. Yet all we seem to read from research in the field of looked after children are the poor outcomes of this group. This book is thankfully different, with the research taking a strengths-based perspective. -- From the foreword by Freda Lewis A fascinating insight into the everyday lives of foster families, based on real people and with a clear child-centred focus throughout. A welcome addition to the body of literature on foster care that will prove invaluable for foster families and those who support them. -- Harvey Gallagher, Chief Executive of the Nationwide Association of Fostering ProvidersMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 226 mm
Width: 174 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
350 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84905-481-2 (9781849054812)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Alyson Rees | Andrew Pithouse
Creating Stable Foster Placements
Learning from Foster Children and the Families Who Care For Them
E-Book
11/2014
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
€39.99
Available for download
Persons
Andy Pithouse (PhD; AcSS) is a researcher in child and family services at Cardiff School of Social Sciences. He has published extensively in areas such as child advocacy, child protection, family service systems, and early intervention. Alyson Rees (PhD) is a senior lecturer at Cardiff School of Social Sciences and has been a social work practitioner for 16 years. She has been involved in a range of child and family research projects and publications in foster care and family support.
Content
Introduction, Chapter One: Fostering in the UK, key characteristics and challenges, Chapter Two: Ways of thinking about children and families in foster care, Chapter Three: Meet the Families, Chapter Four : Tough job fostering : why do it? Chapter Five : Food, Fostering and Family Life, Chapter Six: Foster care and the 'body', Chapter Seven: Space and Place in the foster home - views from the young people