Connection and Continuity in Foster Care

Based on interviews with children, birth parents, foster carers and social workers in the province of Ontario, Kathleen Kufeldt, James Armstrong and Marshall Dorosh explore some of the benefits and pitfalls of fostering as an effective response to children ‘in need’ of substitute care. Among the more surprising findings of their study is the high percentage of respondents who assert that, in retrospect, coming into care was the best solution to their particular situation. At the same time, the majority among all four sets of participants are in favour of maintaining ties and involvement in the form of continuity, connection and contact with birth families. Other positive findings show that children, especially pre-adolescents, often have quite a realistic understanding of the situation leading up to their placement in care with less of a tendency to blame themselves or idealise their birth families than has previously been suggested.