Fostering adolescents - Farmer, Elaine (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2004)
Includes bibliographical references (pages 240-247) and indexes
Introduction -- Background and research literature -- How we designed and carried out the study -- Description of the young people and the foster carers in the sample -- Planning and preparation for the placements -- The young people's behaviour in the placements -- Foster carer strain -- Support for the foster carers -- The parenting approaches of the foster carers -- The young people's contact with family members -- Predicting placement outcome -- Implications for practice and policy
Using interviews with over sixty fostered adolescents, their social workers and foster carers, Fostering Adolescents builds up a picture of the challenges faced by both carers and the young people themselves, from planning and preparation for a placement to the impact of foster carer strain. It highlights overlooked factors affecting fostering placements, such as the significance of peer relationships and the role of foster carers' children, and considers which supports and services are vital in maintaining placements. Based on the findings of research commissioned by the Department of Health