IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v33y2011i6p910-917.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gentle iron will: Foster parents' perspectives

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel, Ellice

Abstract

In this qualitative exploratory study the perspectives of foster parents in an eastern Canadian province, who had at least five years of fostering experience, were explored through structured open-ended telephone interviews. The interview questions were organized around seven main areas based on the personal experiences as foster parents which were: the misconceptions they encountered, their motivation and the reasons they continue to foster, the joys, as well as the barriers and challenges these foster parents faced, and what advice foster parents would offer future foster parents. Four themes emerged through the data analysis: misunderstood intent, joyful satisfaction, unrealistic expectations, and missing pieces. The emergent theoretical model "gentle iron will" reflects the feelings associated with the obligation resulting from the commitment foster parents made to themselves and the children in their care. This study supports much of the literature on the experiences of foster parents because the participants' responses are reflected in the existing body of literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel, Ellice, 2011. "Gentle iron will: Foster parents' perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 910-917, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:33:y:2011:i:6:p:910-917
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190-7409(11)00003-X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sanchirico, Andrew & Lau, W. Josephine & Jablonka, Kary & Russell, Stephen J., 1998. "Foster parent involvement in service planning: Does it increase job satisfaction?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 325-346, May.
    2. Orme, John G. & Buehler, Cheryl & McSurdy, Michael & Rhodes, Kathryn W. & Ellen Cox, Mary & Patterson, David A., 2004. "Parental and familial characteristics of family foster care applicants," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 307-329, March.
    3. Brown, Jason D. & Campbell, Melissa, 2007. "Foster parent perceptions of placement success," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(8), pages 1010-1020, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Griffiths, Austin & Holderfield-Gaither, Emily & Funge, Simon P. & Warfel, Erin T., 2021. "Satisfaction, willingness, and well-being: Examining the perceptions of a statewide sample of public and private foster parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    2. Cooley, Morgan E. & Petren, Raymond E., 2020. "A qualitative examination of coparenting among foster parent dyads," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    3. Marinescu, Ioana & Tan, Fei & Greeson, Johanna K.P., 2023. "Economic conditions and the number of children in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    4. Brown, Jason D. & Ivanova, Viktoria & Mehta, Nisha & Skrodzki, Donna & Gerrits, Julie, 2013. "Social needs of aboriginal foster parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 1886-1893.
    5. Brown, Jason D. & Gerritts, Julie & Ivanova, Viktoria & Mehta, Nisha & Skrodzki, Donna, 2012. "Motives of aboriginal foster parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1298-1304.
    6. Baer, Lauren & Diehl, David K., 2019. "Foster care for teenagers: Motivators, barriers, and strategies to overcome barriers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 264-277.
    7. Degener, Clementine J. & van Bergen, Diana D. & Grietens, Hans W.E., 2020. "The ethnic identity complexity of transculturally placed foster youth in the Netherlands," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    8. Serbinski, Sarah & Shlonsky, Aron, 2014. "Is it that we are afraid to ask? A scoping review about sons and daughters of foster parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 101-114.
    9. Spielfogel, Jill E. & Leathers, Sonya J. & Christian, Errick & McMeel, Lorri S., 2011. "Parent management training, relationships with agency staff, and child mental health: Urban foster parents' perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(11), pages 2366-2374.
    10. Vanderfaeillie, Johan & Gypen, Laura & West, Delphine & Van Holen, Frank, 2020. "Support needs and satisfaction of Flemish foster parents in long-term foster care: Associated characteristics of foster children, foster parents and foster placements," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    11. Cooley, Morgan E. & Thompson, Heather M. & Wojciak, Armeda Stevenson, 2017. "Risk, resilience, and complexity: Experiences of foster parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 35-41.
    12. Raudkivi, Madli, 2020. "What factors predispose the intention to become a foster family in Estonia: Applying the theory of reasoned action and planned behavior?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    13. Ahn, Haksoon & DePanfilis, Diane & Frick, Kevin & Barth, Richard P., 2018. "Estimating minimum adequate foster care costs for children in the United States," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 55-67.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Waid, Jeffrey & Kothari, Brianne H. & McBeath, Bowen M. & Bank, Lew, 2017. "Foster home integration as a temporal indicator of relational well-being," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 137-145.
    2. Miller, J. Jay & Cooley, Morgan & Owens, Larry & Fletcher, Jessica Day & Moody, Shannon, 2019. "Self-care practices among foster parents: An exploratory study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 206-212.
    3. Van Holen, Frank & Van Loock, Julie & Belenger, Laurence & Vanderfaeillie, Johan, 2017. "Concept mapping the needs of grandmothers who take care of their grandchildren in formal foster care in Flanders," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 159-167.
    4. Harden, Brenda Jones & D'Amour Meisch, Allison & Vick, Jessica E. & Pandohie-Johnson, Lisa, 2008. "Measuring parenting among foster families: The development of the Foster Parent Attitudes Questionnaire (FPAQ)," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 879-892, August.
    5. Steen, Julie A. & Smith, Kenneth Scott, 2011. "Foster parent perspectives of privatization policy and the privatized system," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(9), pages 1483-1488, September.
    6. Miller, J. Jay & Duron, Jacquelynn F. & Donohue-Dioh, Jessica & Geiger, Jennifer M., 2018. "Conceptualizing effective legal representation for Foster youth: A group concept mapping study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 271-278.
    7. Cole, Susan A. & Eamon, Mary Keegan, 2007. "Self-perceptions of fulfilling the foster caregiver role: A preliminary analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 655-671, May.
    8. Waid, Jeffrey & Kothari, Brianne H. & Bank, Lew & McBeath, Bowen, 2016. "Foster care placement change: The role of family dynamics and household composition," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 44-50.
    9. Miller, Arianne E. & Green, Tonika Duren & Lambros, Katina M., 2019. "Foster parent self-care: A conceptual model," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 107-114.
    10. Rip, Jet & Hasami, Selsela & Post, Wendy & Zijlstra, Elianne & Knorth, Erik J. & Kalverboer, Margrite, 2021. "Perspectives of unaccompanied refugee children, their foster carers and guardians on placement success: Which factors predict multi-informant discrepancies?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    11. Skrallan, De Maeyer & Johan, Vanderfaeillie & Marijke, Robberechts & Femke, Vanschoonlandt & Frank, Van Holen, 2015. "Foster parents' coping style and attitudes toward parenting," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 70-76.
    12. Vanschoonlandt, Femke & Vanderfaeillie, Johan & Van Holen, Frank & De Maeyer, Skrällan & Robberechts, Marijke, 2013. "Parenting stress and parenting behavior among foster mothers of foster children with externalizing problems," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 1742-1750.
    13. Van Holen, Frank & Geys, Lynn & West, Delphine & Gypen, Laura & Vanderfaeillie, Johan, 2019. "Characteristics of successful foster families according to Flemish foster care workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    14. Orme, John G. & Combs-Orme, Terri, 2014. "Foster parenting together: Foster parent couples," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 124-132.
    15. Cooley, Morgan E. & Petren, Raymond E., 2011. "Foster parent perceptions of competency: Implications for foster parent training," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1968-1974, October.
    16. Ivanova, Viktoria & Brown, Jason, 2010. "Support needs of Aboriginal foster parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(12), pages 1796-1802, December.
    17. Cavanaugh, Daniel L. & Sutherby, Carolyn G. & Sharda, Elizabeth & Hughes, Anne K. & Woodward, Amanda T., 2020. "The relationship between well-being and meaning-making in kinship caregivers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    18. Hyde, Justeen & Kammerer, Nina, 2009. "Adolescents' perspectives on placement moves and congregate settings: Complex and cumulative instabilities in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 265-273, February.
    19. Vanderfaeillie, Johan & Gypen, Laura & West, Delphine & Van Holen, Frank, 2020. "Support needs and satisfaction of Flemish foster parents in long-term foster care: Associated characteristics of foster children, foster parents and foster placements," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    20. Van Holen, Frank & Trogh, Lenny & West, Delphine & Meys, Nina & Vanderfaeillie, Johan, 2019. "Concept mapping the needs of Flemish nonkinship foster parents who care for unaccompanied refugee minors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 84-92.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:33:y:2011:i:6:p:910-917. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.