Family partnering in practice: The role of caregivers’ epistemological theories in their interaction with families

Research on alternative care – combined with evidence from family therapy and perspectives from children’s rights debates – robustly demonstrates that a crucial factor influencing the success of alternative care projects is family partnering, that is, maintaining relational continuity with birth families and participating with them, whenever it is judicially approved. However, there is a limited understanding of how this unfolds in practice. To address this gap, this article presents an in-depth ethnographic and conversation analytic study conducted in three group homes in Rome, Italy, aiming to thoroughly analyse interactions with families in light of family partnering. Drawing on ethnographic field notes, environmental documentation and video-recorded dinnertime interactions, in this study we build on Fruggeri’s work (1997, 2005) on the epistemological models of family interaction. Through this analysis, we contribute to the understanding of family partnering by illustrating caregivers’ pivotal role in either promoting or undermining family relational continuity and preventing or increasing children’s alienation. In conclusion, we suggest practical implications for alternative care and propose future avenues for exploring interactions with birth families in greater detail.