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Perceptions of family: Complexities introduced by foster care (Part 2): Adulthood perspectives
Helen Gardner
Counselling and Psychological Health, Public Health, La Trobe University, VIC
Abstract
This article builds on research into child-related perceptions of family when foster care has occurred (Gardner 2004).
It compares each adult participant's retrospective childhood family representation with the representation they constructed of their adult family. It presents a quasi-longitudinal perspective on ways in which perceptions of family developed as the participants matured.
The 39 adults who had been fostered as children, provided a representation of current, childhood, and ideal family, and participated in an in-depth interview. The development of relationships with biological and foster family was followed from a retrospective representation of childhood through to adulthood.
Adult biological relationships tended to be with siblings, while foster relationships were mostly with parents. Findings show many similarities between childhood and adult representations.
However, some participants established or re-established relationships with biological parents or siblings, while other participants did so with selected foster parents. It is suggested that options be kept open to provide maximum opportunity for relationships to flourish.
Keywords
foster care, children, adults, family, concept-of-family, quasi-longitudinal
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